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SOCIAL  LIFE  IN 
THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 


By   Anne   Hollingsworth   Wharton 


Social  Lifb  in  the  Early  Republic. 
Profusely  illustrated.  Svo.  Buckram,  gilt 
top,  uncut  edges,  $3.00,  net ;    half  levant, 

$6.00,  net. 

Salons  Colonial  and  Republican.  Pro- 
fusely illustrated.  Svo.  Buclcram,  fc.oo; 
three-quarters  levant,  86.00. 

Heirlooms  in  Miniatures.  Profusely  il- 
lustrated. Svo.  Buckram,  $3.00;  three- 
quarters  levant,  ^.00. 

Through  Colonial  Doorways.  Illustra- 
ted.    i2mo.     Cloth,  gi.25. 

Colonial  Days  and  Dames.  Illustrated. 
i2mo.     Cloth,  Ji. 25. 

A  Last-Century  Maid.  Illustrated.  4to. 
Cloth,  gi.25. 


SOCIAL  LIFE 

IN  THE 

EARLY  REPUBLIC 


BY 

ANNE   HOLLINGSWORTH  WHARTON 

AUTHOR    OF    "through    COLONIAL    DOORWAYS,"     "COLONIAL 

PAYS    AND    DAMES,"     "HEIRLOOMS    IN    MINIATURES," 

"a    LAST    CENTURY    MAID,"    ETC. 


WITH     NUMEROUS     REPRODUCTIONS     OF 
PORTRAITS,  MINIATURES,  AND    RESIDENCES 


PHILADELPHIA  &  LONDON 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY 
1902 


COFYWGHT,    190a 
BY 

J.   B.   LippiNCOTT  Company 
Publiibcd  No-vember^  ig02 


:sE 


Electrotyped  and  Printed  by 
J.  B    Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia,  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 


NEW  YORK,  Boston,  and  the  Southern 
cities,  in  the  early  years  of  the  repubhc, 
possessed  a  characteristic  and  interesting  social  Hfe. 
Philadelphia  still  held  the  place  that  she  had  won 
in  Colonial  days  as  a  literary  and  social  centre,  but 
the  new  capital  was  the  scene  of  a  life  more  typi- 
cally republican  than  that  of  any  of  these  older 
towns. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century  men 
from  the  different  States  who  had  taken  part  in 
Revolutionary  councils  and  congresses,  those  who 
had  helped  to  win  the  battles  of  the  republic  and 
to  frame  its  code  of  laws,  were  to  be  heard  in  the 
Senate  and  House  or  were  to  be  met  upon  the 
streets  of  Washington,  while  women  who  had 
graced  the  drawing-rooms  of  Mrs.  Washington  in 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  passed  through  the 
doors  of  the  new  White  House  to  pay  their  re- 
spects to  Mrs.  Adams,  Mrs.  Madison,  and  Mrs. 
Monroe.  Among  representative  men  and  women 
from  the  centres  of  cultivation  and  refinement. 
North  and  South,  there  was  a  picturesque  mingling 
of  delegates   from   the   recently  admitted    Border 


PREFACE 


States,  all  brought  together  in  the  closer  relations 
that  are  only  possible  in  a  small  city. 

In  the  beautiful  Washington  of  to-day,  with  its 
interesting,  varied,  kaleidoscopic  life,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  find  a  drawing-room  like  that  of  Mrs. 
Madison,  Mrs.  Edward  Livingston,  or  Mrs.  John 
Quincy  Adams,  in  which  all  the  great  and  little 
folk  were  to  be  met  in  one  evening,  as  Mr.  Josiah 
Quincy  encountered  them  when  he  visited  Wash- 
ington in  1826.  Many  scattered  centres  of  interest 
there  are  to-day,  but  no  one  centre  towards  which 
the  rays  of  light  focus,  as  in  that  earlier  time  when 
the  mistress  of  the  White  House  welcomed  to  her 
drawing-room  Webster,  Clay,  Calhoun,  Marshall, 
Story,  Washington  Irving,  Sir  Charles  Bagot,  Lord 
Ashburton,  Father  Richards,  David  Crockett,  Mat- 
thew Lyon,  the  good  Indian  Pushmataha,  "  Eagle 
of  the  Choctaws,"  and  his  eulogist  John  Randolph. 

One  of  the  penalties  incident  upon  advancing 
civilization  is  the  passing  away  of  the  characteristic 
and  individual  features  of  society.  After  hearing 
an  older  Washingtonian  say,  when  asked  some 
question  about  Mr.  Fillmore,  that  she  "  knew  noth- 
ing about  him  or  any  of  the  modern  Presidents," 
it  occurred  to  the  writer  that  it  might  be  advisable 
to  preserve  for  the  generations  to  come  a  picture  of 
the  social  life  of  the  capital — an  already  fast-fading 
retrospect — while  men  and  women  are  living  who 
describe  Webster,  Clay,  and  Jackson  as  they  ap- 


PREFACE 


peared  to  them,  or  recall  the  quaint  figures  of  Mrs. 
Alexander  Hamilton  and  Mrs.  Madison  in  old  age, 
or  the  younger  faces  of  Cora  Livingston,  Adele 
Cutts,  Mrs.  Gardiner  G.  Howland,  and  Madame 
de  Potestad. 

To  those  who  have  aided  her  with  personal 
recollections  or  valuable  family  papers  and  letters 
the  author  makes  grateful  acknowledgment,  her 
thanks  being  especially  due  to  Mrs.  Samuel  Phillips 
Lee,  Mrs.  Beverly  Kennon,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Donelson 
Wilcox,  Miss  Virginia  Mason,  Mr.  James  Nourse 
and  the  Misses  Nourse  of  the  Highlands,  to  Mrs. 
Robert  K.  Stone,  Miss  Fanny  Lee  Jones,  Mrs. 
Semple,  Mrs.  Julia  F.  Snow,  Mr.  J.  Henley  Smith, 
Mrs.  Thompson  H.  Alexander,  Miss  Rosa  Mor- 
decai,  Mrs.  Harriot  Stoddert  Tumer,  Miss  Caroline 
Miller,  Mrs.  T.  Skipwith  Coles,  Dr.  James  Dudley 
Morgan,  and  Mr.  Charles  Washington  Coleman. 

A.  H.  W. 

Philadelphia,  October,  1902. 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I — A  Social  Evolution 13 

II — A   Predestined  Capital 42 

III — Homes  and  Hostelries  ........  58 

IV — County  Families 78 

V — ^Jeffersonian  Simplicity 102 

VI — A   Queen  of  Hearts 13 1 

VII — The   Bladensburg   Races      .......  161 

VIII — Peace  and   Plenty 179 

IX — Classics  and   Cotillions 208 

X — A  Ladies'    Battle 236 

XI — Through   Several  Administrations    .      .      .      .267 

XII — Mid-Century  Gayeties 296 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
Mrs,      Richard      Gittings,     of      Baltimore      (Polly 
Sterett) Frontispiece 

From  portrait  by  Charles  Willson  Peale,  owned  by  her  great- 
grandson,  Mr.  D.  Sterett  Gittings,  of  Baltimore.  Mrs. 
Gittings  eyes  are  dark  brown,  the  hair  dark  brown,  with  lighter 
shades  through  it ;  the  gown  of  delicate  pink,  the  sleeves 
caught  up  with  pearls,  the  sash  of  a  gray  shade.  The  whole 
effect  of  the  costume  is  soft  pink  and  gray,  like  a  sunset 
cloud,  which  tones  in  well  with  the  out-of-door  background  of 
pale-blue  sky,  trees,  and  grass. 

Mr.  James  Greenleaf 30 

From  original  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned  by  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  Philadelphia. 

Mrs.   John  Jay,   of  New  York   (Sarah  Livingston)  .      36 

From  portrait  in  oil  copied  from  a  miniature  in  a  bracelet  by 
Daniel  Huntington,  owned  by  Miss  Elizabeth  Clarkson  Jay,  of 
New  York. 


Family    Group     of    the     Children     of     Benjamin 
Stoddert  

From  painting  by  Charles  Willson  Peale,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Harriot  Stoddert  Turner,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  The  elder 
girl,  Elizabeth  Stoddert,  married  Dr.  Thomas  Ewell ;  the  baby 
in  the  wagon,  Harriot  Stoddert,  was  afterwards  Mrs.  George 
W.  Campbell,  and  the  boy  was  Benjamin  Forrest  Stoddert. 

xi 


40 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
DUDDINGTON,     WASHINGTON,    D.   C 48 

Built  by  Daniel  Carroll  about  1 79 3,  pulled  down  1 886.  From 
picture  owned  by  Dr.  James  Dudley  Morgan,  of  Washington, 
D.  C. 

Andrew  Ellicott 54 

From  miniature  on  ivory  by  James  Peale,  owned  by  Mr.  Edwin 
T.  Evans,  of  Buffalo. 

Benjamin  Stoddert,  of  Georgetown,  First  Secretary 

OF  the  Navy 54 

From  miniature  painted  on  ivory.  This  miniature  is  signed 
"  R.  F.  1798"  and  is  owned  by  Mrs.  Campbell  Brown,  of 
Ewells,  Tennessee.  Gray  or  powdered  hair,  queue  at  back, 
hazel  eyes,  blue  coat  with  brass  buttons,  white  shirt,  and  full 
white  necktie. 

Mrs.  Elbridge  Gerry  (Ann  Thompson,  Daughter  of 
James  Thompson,  of  Ireland,  and  Catherine 
Walton,  of  New  York) 64 

Frc^m  miniature  on  ivory  by  John  Ramage,  in  possession  of 
grand-niece,  Mrs.  John  W.  Clay,  Marysville,  Campbell  County, 

Virginia. 

Mrs.  Isaac  Coles  (Catherine  Thompson)  ....  64 
Mrs.  Coles  was  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Elbridge  Gerry  ;  she  married 
Colonel  Isaac  Coles,  of  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1790.  The  miniature  of  Mrs.  Isaac  Coles,  by  John 
Ramage,  was  painted  about  1789,  and  was  left  by  her  grand- 
daughter, Miss  Mary  Coles  Whittle,  of  Pittsylvania  County, 
Virginia,  to  the  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  in  the  State  of 
Virginia. 

Archbishop  John  Carroll,  Founder  of  the  "  Acad- 
emy AT  Georgetown" 84 

From  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned  by  the  Georgetown 
University. 

xii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
The     Misses      Murray,     Daughters     of     Dr.     James 

Murray 86 

This  portrait  by  Bouchet  in  1 794  represents  two  young  girls 
dressed  in  white  crowning  with  a  wreath  and  decorating  with 
flowers  the  bust  of  their  father's  friend,  Dr.  Scott.  The 
picture  was  painted  in  Dr.  Murray's  garden  at  Annapolis,  with 
the  Severn  in  the  distance.  Sallie  Scott  Murray,  born  1775, 
married  Governor  Edward  Lloyd,  of  Maryland,  and  Anna 
Maria  Murray,  born  1776,  married  General  John  Mason,  of 
Virginia.  Portrait  used  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Misses 
Dorsey,  of  Washington,  great-granddaughters  of  Mrs.  John 
Mason. 

The  Highlands,    on  the  Tennleytown   Road  .      .      .      88 

Built  by  Mr.  Charles  J.  Nourse,  and  in  1902  the  residence  of 
his  son  and  daughters.  From  a  photograph  taken  through  the 
courtesy  of  the  Misses  Nourse,  by  Elizabeth  Worthington 
Trescot,  of  Washington,  in  1900. 

Marquis  de   Casa  Yrujo 114 

From  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas 
McKean,  of  Fern  Hill,  Germantown,  Philadelphia.  Blue 
eyes,  light  hair,  blond  complexion  ;  rich  court  suit  of  silk, 
coat  lined  with  satin,  decorated  with  several  Spanish  orders. 

Marchioness  de   Casa  Yrujo 114 

From  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas 
McKean,  of  Fern  Hill,  Germantown,  Philadelphia.  Dark 
eyes  and  hair  ;  white  gown,  the  sleeves  looped  with  pearls,  a 
pearl  necklace,  and  pearls  in  the  hair. 

Luther   Martin 126 

From  miniature  on  ivory,  owned  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Crim,  of 
Baltimore. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
Mrs.    Laurence  Keene  (Maria   Martin,  Daughter  of 

Luther   Martin) 126 

From  miniature  on  ivory,  owned  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Crim,  of 
Baltimore.  , 

Mrs.   James  Madison 132 

From  miniature  painted  by  James  Peale  in  Philadelphia,  before 
her  marriage  to  James  Madison,  owned  by  grand-niece,  Mrs. 
Moorfield  Storey,  of  Boston.  Eyes  dark  blue  or  gray,  hair  dark, 
and  complexion  fair  and  florid. 

Mrs.  James  Monroe 132 

From  miniature  on  ivory,  painted  in  Paris  by  Sene,  in  1794, 
in  possession  of  Mrs.  Charles  Wilmer,  of  Baltimore. 

Mrs.    Richard  D.   Cutts   (Anna  Payne)     .      .      .      .14.2 

From  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  with  the  artist's  profile  outlined 
in  the  background,  in  possession  of  son,  Dr.  H.  M.  Cutts, 
of  Brookline,  Massachusetts. 

Mrs.     Samuel     Ringgold     (Maria     Cadwalader,     of 

Philadelphia) 146 

From  miniature  on  ivory,  owned  by  Mrs  William  Woodville, 
Georgetown.  Simple  muslin  gown,  with  a  jewelled  ornament 
in  the  hair,  which  is  light  brown. 

Mrs.   Moses  Poor   (Charlotte  White,   of  Boston)  .    146 

From  miniature  on  ivory,  painted  by  Edward  Greene  Malbone, 
owned  by  granddaughter,  Miss  Charlotte  Webb,  of  Washington, 
D.  C.  Eyes  dark  blue,  light  brown  hair,  delicate  complexion  ; 
gown  of  thin  dotted  muslin,  showing  the  white  neck  and 
shoulders  j  background  of  a  delicate  pink,  with  shades  of  gray. 

The  Van  Ness   Mansion 150 

Built  by  General  John  P.  Van  Ness  prior  to  1814;  still 
standing  (1902)  between  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Streets, 
south  of  the  Corcoran  Gallery  of  Art. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
John   Randolph 152 

From  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned  by  grand-nephew,  Mr. 
Charles  Washington  Coleman,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  Eyes 
brown,  complexion  florid,  hair  light  brown  ;  the  coat  is  gray, 
with  velvet  collar,  the  vest  light  gray.  Mr.  Randolph  is 
sitting  near  a  wall,  with  trees  in  the  background.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  of  Gilbert  Stuart's  portraits. 

Colonel    John    Tayloe,    of    Mount    Airy,    Virginia, 

WHO   Built  the  Octagon,  Washington,  D.  C.        .    176 

From  portrait  painted  by  Gilbert  Stuart  in  1804,  in  Tayloe 
Collection  at  Corcoran  Gallery  of  Art,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Eyes  gray  and  hair  gray  or  powdered. 

Mrs.   John  Tayloe   (Ann   Ogle) 176 

From  portrait  painted  by  Gilbert  Stuart  in  1804,  in  Tayloe 
Collection  at  Corcoran  Gallery  of  Art,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Eyes  brown,  brown  hair  with  auburn  shades  ;  white  gown. 

Mrs.   George  Washington   Campbell  (Harriot  Stod- 

dert) 194 

From  portrait  painted  in  Russia  by  George  Dawe,  R.A., 
owned  by  Mrs.  Campbell  Brown,  of  Ewells,  Tennessee. 

Tudor   Place,   Georgetown   Heights 204 

Built  by  Mr.  Thomas  Peter,  and  in  1902  the  residence  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Beverly  Kennon,  a  great-granddaughter  of 
Martha  Washington.  Photograph  taken  by  Elizabeth  Worth- 
ington  Trescot,  of  Washington,  in  1901. 

Edward  Greene  Malbone 230 

From  portrait  of  the  artist  painted  by  himself,  in  permanent 
collection  of  the  Corcoran  Gallery  of  Art,  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  flesh  tints  of  this  portrait  are  fine  and  delicate,  the  eyes 
blue,  and  the  hair  powdered 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
Mrs.    Lucius  J.   Polk    (Mary   Eastin,    of   Tennessee) 
AND   Madame  Pageot  (Mary  Lewis,  of  Nashville, 
Tennessee) 258 

From  portraits  owned  by  Mrs.  Campbell  Brown,  of  Ewells, 
Tennessee. 

Mrs.    Andrew  Stevenson   (Sally  Coles)      ....    z68 

From  portrait,  three-quarters  length,  painted  in  London,  by  G. 
P.  A.  Healy,  in  the  dress  in  which  Mrs.  Stevenson  was  pre- 
sented at  the  Queen's  drawing-room.  The  portrait  was  exhib- 
ited in  London,  and  now  belongs  to  Mrs.  Stevenson's  family  in 
Virginia. 

Miss  Abigail  Fillmore 308 

From  portrait  painted  by  W.  Le  Clear,  of  Buffalo.  Fair  hair, 
delicate  complexion  ;  simple  white  gown,  without  ornaments. 

Mrs.   Alexander   Hamilton 308 

From  crayon-sketch  made  by  Charles  Martin  in  1 85 1,  used 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Philip  Schuyler,  of  Irvington, 
New  Yorlc. 

Mrs.    Gardiner   G.    Howland   (Mary  Dulany)      .      .316 

Mrs.  Gardiner  G.  Howland  was  a  daughter  of  Grafton  Lloyd 
Dulany,  of  Baltimore.  Picture  used  through  the  courtesy  of 
her  family. 

The  Marquesa  de   Potestad  (Gabriela,  Daughter  of 

John  Chapman  and   Mary  Randolph,  of  Virginia)    316 

From  portrait  in  crayon  made  after  Miss  Chapman's  marriage 
to  the  Marques  de  Potestad  Fornari,  used  through  the  courtesy 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Richard  A.  Tilghman,  Jr.,  of  Phila- 
delphia. 


rUNlVEKSlTV  J 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN 
THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 


I 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 

THE  Bostonians  unite  simplicity  of  morals  with 
that  French  politeness  and  delicacy  of  man- 
ners which  render  virtue  more  amiable,"  wrote 
Brissot  de  Warville,  who  visited  the  principal  cities 
of  America  soon  after  the  Revolution.  In  the  New 
England  city  the  observing  Frenchman  recorded 
that  he  discovered  "  neatness  without  luxury,"  and 
if  in  other  cities  and  towns  that  he  visited  he  found 
more  luxury  and  perhaps  less  neatness,  in  all  of 
them  he  met  cultivated  men,  and  women  so  charm- 
ing that  he  frankly  admitted  that  for  beauty  and 
conversational  ability  they  compared  favorably  with 
those  of  any  court  in  the  Old  World. 

All  visitors  to  America  before  and  during  the 
Revolution  wrote  with  enthusiasm  of  the  social 
life  which  they  enjoyed  in  Boston,  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  and  the  Southem  cities.  Instead  of 
the  rude  and  primitive  life  that  might  have  been  ex- 
pected in  a  new  countr)%  they  found  here  what 
they  recognized  as  society  in  its  best  sense, — the 
13 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

meeting  of  men  and  women  for  rational  inter- 
course and  enjoyment  without  the  extremes  of 
luxury  and  license  that  were  to  be  found  in  most 
capitals  of  Europe. 

This  early  and  rapid  development  of  social  life 
in  the  Colonies  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that 
they  were  English  in  character  from  Maine  to 
Georgia.  Despite  the  Dutch,  Swedish,  German, 
and  other  nationalities  present  in  New  York,  Dela- 
ware, and  in  nearly  all  of  the  settlements,  the  domi- 
nant impression  was  made  by  the  Anglo-Saxon, 
who,  with  all  his  reserve  and  apparent  coldness,  is  a 
creature  of  social  instincts,  dependent  upon  the 
exchange  of  ideas  and  hospitalities,  who  carries  his 
English  habits  and  customs  with  him  into  the 
wildemess.  Nowhere  was  this  trait  more  empha- 
sized than  in  the  Southern  Colonies,  where  men 
and  women  living  upon  remote  plantations  cheer- 
fully jogged  and  jolted  over  miles  of  rough  roads 
in  order  to  assist  at  countryside  dinners,  dances, 
weddings,  and  christenings. 

In  the  Northern  and  Middle  Colonies  the  pleas- 
ures of  society  were  chiefly  confined  to  towns  and 
cities,  while  in  the  South,  although  social  life  cen- 
tred in  certain  towns,  especially  in  such  capitals  as 
Savannah,  Charleston,  Williamsburg,  and  Annap- 
olis, the  joys  of  social  intercourse  extended  to  the 
countryside.  During  the  hunting  season  the  Vir- 
ginian planter  kept  open  house  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
14 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


and  his  brother  of  Maryland  was  not  slow  in  fol- 
lowing his  example.  It  is  related  of  one  of  the 
patriarchal  landholders  of  Maryland  that,  when 
importuned  by  his  relatives  to  break  the  entail  upon 
his  estate,  he  replied,  "  If  I  divide  it,  I  shall  make 
as  many  fox-hunters  as  I  make  heirs." 

In  nothing  were  the  English  characteristics  of 
the  Southern  settler  more  clearly  shown  than  in  his 
love  of  field  sports,  A  Maryland  chronicler  writes 
of  his  countrymen,  "  On  horses  that  seemed  almost 
tireless,  and  with  dogs  like  the  horses,  they  some- 
times chased  Reynard  across  the  eastern  peninsula 
from  the  Chesapeake  to  the  Atlantic.  The  return 
journey  and  the  stops  at  hospitable  mansions  on 
the  way  took  more  time  than  the  pursuit  of  the 
fox,  and  the  whole  expedition  sometimes  lasted  a 
week." 

In  the  early  married  life  of  the  Washingtons  at 
Mount  Vemon  there  was  scarce  a  day  that  the  Gen- 
eral did  not  record  in  his  diary  a  visit  or  a  dinner 
at  some  neighbors,  or  going  with  Mrs.  Washington 
and  the  children  to  Mr.  Fairfax's  to  stand  godfather 
to  one  of  his  children,  or  fox-hunting  with  Colonel 
Bassett,  Mr.  Fairfax,  and  Jacky  Custis,  or  coming 
home  to  find  that  a  number  of  guests  had  arrived 
during  his  absence ;  so  generous,  indeed,  was  the 
hospitality  of  Mount  Vernon  that,  although  its 
master  owned  a  hundred  cows,  he  sometimes  humbly 
confessed  that  he  had  to  buy  butter. 
15 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Nor  was  the  life  of  Maryland  and  Virginia,  with 
its  fox-hunting  and  constant  exercise  of  hospitality, 
entirely  given  over  to  pleasure.  Plantation  living, 
with  its  various  open-air  duties  and  diversions, 
seemed  to  offer  abundant  facilities  for  reading  and 
study,  and  in  the  South  there  grew  up  a  race  of 
men  familiar  with  the  English  classics  as  with 
those  of  Greece  and  Rome.  If  George  Sandys 
entertained  his  leisure  hours  by  translating  Ovid 
upon  the  picturesque  banks  of  the  James,  and  the 
Southern  gentleman  was  wont  to  form  his  language 
upon  the  writings  of  Addison,  Pope,  and  Boling- 
broke,  there  were  also  many  who  were  so  familiar 
with  the  pages  of  English  jurists  that  they  adapted 
the  precepts  found  therein  to  the  life  of  their  own 
time,  and  when  the  casuistry  of  the  mother  country 
became  intolerable,  were  ready  to  meet  her  argu- 
ments with  wits  sharpened  upon  English  authorities. 

The  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  although  he  met 
many  clever  men  and  women  in  Philadelphia,  New 
York,  and  Boston,  did  not  hesitate  to  give  as  his 
opinion  that  in  the  South  "  A  taste  for  reading  was 
more  prevalent  among  gentlemen  of  the  first  class 
than  in  any  other  part  of  America."  Another  dis- 
criminating traveller,  Smyth,  although  impressed 
with  the  luxurious  living  in  the  beautiful  country- 
seats  along  the  James,  and  the  fondness  of  their 
inmates  for  the  chase,  expressed  much  the  same 
opinion   with   regard   to    the    attainments    of  the 

i6 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


Southern  gentleman.  After  meeting  Mr.  Charles 
Carroll  of  CarroUton,  whom  he  calls  "  one  of  the 
richest  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,"  and  visit- 
ing the  houses  of  Dr.  James  Murray,  Governor 
Ogle,  and  many  other  hospitable  citizens  of  An- 
napolis, the  duke  recorded  to  the  honor  of  this 
city  that  "All  that  he  had  seen  of  its  men  and 
women  led  him  to  think  it  one  of  the  places  which 
a  stranger  would  be  most  inclined  to  choose,  if  he 
did  not  catch  the  disease  of  the  country,  the  thirst 
for  speculation." 

The  division  of  the  Southern  Colonies  into 
parishes  established  another  meeting-ground  be- 
tween the  county  families  of  Virginia,  Maryland, 
and  the  Carolinas.  The  Virginian,  being  of  Eng- 
lish ancestry,  followed  the  religious  usages  of  his 
fathers.  Bishop  Meade's  history  of  the  churches 
of  Virginia  furnishes  a  record  of  the  leading  fami- 
lies as  well,  those  being  days  when  temporal  and 
spiritual  interests  contrived  to  jog  along  pleasantly 
together  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  in  her  sister 
Colonies.  An  amusing  instance  of  the  self-consti- 
tuted importance  of  a  Virginia  parson  is  to  be 
found  among  the  traditions  of  St.  George's  Parish, 
Spottsylvania.  One  Mr.  Thompson  of  this  parish 
had  made  proposals  of  marriage  to  Lady  Spots- 
wood,  relict  of  the  governor.  Being  a  lady  of 
high  degree,  possessed  of  a  title  and  broad  acres, 
the  widow  expressed  some  doubt  as  to  whether 
17 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

such  a  marriage  would  be  suitable  to  one  in  her 
station  in  life,  upon  which  the  parson,  nothing 
daunted,  set  forth  with  elaboration  and  at  consider- 
able length  the  advantages  appertaining  to  his 
cloth.  After  expatiating  upon  the  honor  and  dig- 
nity of  his  calling,  as  relating  to  the  salvation  of 
souls,  beyond  that  of  the  greatest  princes  on  earth, 
and  like  unto  that  of  the  blessed  angels,  and  the 
Son  of  God  Himself  when  he  condescended  to 
dwell  among  men,  the  reverend  gentleman  pro- 
ceeded to  strengthen  his  cause  by  the  following 
outburst  of  eloquence  and  sarcasm : 

"  From  all  which,  it  evidently  appears,  y'  in  all  Ages  & 
Nations  of  ye  World,  whether  Jews,  Heathens,  or  Christians, 
great  Honour  &  Dignity  has  been  always  conferred  upon  ye 
clergy.  And  when  it  is  moreover  declared  y'  whosoever  de- 
spiseth  them,  despiseth  not  Man  but  God.  All  which  Titles 
shew  y'  upon  many  accounts  they  stand  called,  appropriated  & 
devoted  to  God  himself.  And  therefore,  if  a  Gentleman  of 
this  sacred  and  honourable  character  should  be  married  to  a 
Lady,  though  of  y^  greatest  extraction  &  most  excellent  personal 
quahties  (which  I'm  sensible  you're  endowed  with,)  can  be  no 
disgrace  to  her,  nor  her  family,  nor  draw  y^  censures  of  y"  world 
upon  either,  for  such  an  action.  And  therefore  D"^  Madam,  your 
argument  being  refuted  you  can  no  longer  consistently  refuse  to 
consummate  my  happiness." 

It  may  be  unnecessary  to  state  that  the  widow 
yielded  to  the  persuasions  of  a  lover  who  possessed 
the  gift  of  tongues  in  so  large  a  measure,  and  Lady 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


Spotswood  became  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  John 
Thompson,  who  is  described  as  a  handsome  and 
accomplished  gentleman. 

Whatever  traces  the  antiquarian  may  discover 
of  extravagance  and  luxury  in  Colonial  capitals, 
there  was  in  early  times  little  danger  of  social 
life  being  dominated  by  the  class  of  large  wealth 
and  aimless  leisure  that  has  later  threatened  its 
higher  interests  in  our  leading  cities.  In  those 
strenuous  days  the  leisure  class  was  in  too  small 
proportion  to  be  counted  a  factor  in  the  life  of  the 
time.  Few  enjoyed  wealth  and  leisure  except 
those  who  rested  from  their  labors ;  and  if  some  of 
the  magnates  of  old  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and 
Boston  appeared  upon  the  pages  of  the  directories 
of  their  day  as  "  gentleman,"  it  was  because  a  youth 
of  well-ordered  activity  had  earned  them  a  right  to 
such  dignified  and  aristocratic  repose. 

Our  ancestors,  with  a  wiser  and  broader  outlook 
upon  life  than  that  of  a  later  time,  evidently  con- 
sidered those  who  represented  the  intellectual  and 
religious  interests  in  the  community  quite  as  essen- 
tial to  the  completeness  of  social  intercourse  as 
those  who  stood  for  material  prosperity.  The  Due 
de  la  Rochefoucauld  observed  that  the  leaders  of 
society  in  Philadelphia  were  the  great  lawyers  and 
merchants.  There  were  also  in  this  city  eminent 
divines,  honored  for  their  character  and  attainments, 
and  always  a  circle  of  scientific  men,  like  David 
19 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Rittenhouse,  the  Hopkinsons,  Bonds,  Rushes,  and 
Ellicotts,  whose  studies  and  original  researches 
were  encouraged  by  the  Philosophical  Society  of 
which  they  were  members.  Mr.  Adams  wrote  to  his 
wife,  from  the  capital,  of  dinners  with  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Priestley  and  other  learned  men,  as  well  as  of 
sumptuous  entertainments  at  the  Binghams  and  at 
the  house  of  Robert  Morris  in  the  company  "  of 
other  venerable  old  rakes,  threescore  years  of  age  or 
a  little  over  or  a  little  under."  If  De  Liancourt  re- 
corded that  he  had  "  seen  balls  on  the  President's 
birthday  where  the  splendor  of  the  rooms  and  the 
variety  and  richness  of  the  dresses  did  not  suffer  in 
comparison  with  Europe,"  he  and  his  compatriot,  the 
observing  De  Chastellux,  found  many  congenial 
companions  among  scholarly  Philadelphians,  while 
they  were  as  much  charmed  by  the  cultivation  and 
conversational  powers  of  the  women  as  by  their 
beauty. 

Mr.  Richard  Parkinson,  an  enthusiastic  English 
agriculturist  who  visited  America  about  1798, 
when  not  absorbed  in  following  the  excursions  of 
the  Hessian  fly  or  taking  notes  upon  the  superior 
treatment  of  timothy  practised  by  Mr.  Gittings, 
who  had  a  large  farm  near  Baltimore,  found  much 
to  interest  him  in  the  social  life  of  Maryland  and 
Virginia.  He  recorded  a  delightful  visit  of  some 
days  at  General  Ridgely's  country-seat,  where  he 
dined  with  the  governor  of  Maryland  and  several 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


members  of  the  Assembly.  Mr.  Parkinson  was 
hospitably  entertained  at  Mount  Vemon,  where,  in 
an  interesting  conversation  with  General  Washing- 
ton, the  great  man  expressed  himself  freely  with 
regard  to  the  relative  importance  of  several  Ameri- 
can cities.  "  Baltimore,"  he  predicted,  "  would  be 
the  risingest  town  in  America,  except  the  federal 
city.  Philadelphia  would  decline  ;  but  New  York 
would  always  maintain  an  eminent  commercial 
rank  from  its  position — ^the  frost  not  stopping 
the  navigation  so  early,  and  sometimes  not  at 
all." 

In  view  of  subsequent  developments.  General 
Washington's  predictions  are  not  without  interest. 
Many  of  the  Southern  towns,  like  those  of  the 
Northern  Colonies,  owed  much  of  their  social 
distinction  to  commercial  prosperity,  as  wealth 
increased  rapidly  all  along  the  seaboard.  If  Mas- 
sachusetts boasted  her  merchant  princes  like  the 
Dexters,  Derbys,  Hoopers,  and  Pepperells,  and 
New  York  her  successful  Dutch  traders,  the  planters 
of  Virginia  and  Maryland  were  by  no  means  averse 
to  commerce  as  a  convenient  and  lucrative  method 
of  exchanging  the  products  of  their  plantations  for 
those  of  other  lands.  Baltimore,  which  General 
Washington  spoke  of  as  a  rising  town,  was  already 
an  important  commercial  centre,  to  which  George- 
town was  proving  a  formidable  rival,  as  one-third 
of  all  the  tobacco  of  Maryland  was  sent  out  from 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

that  port.  Large  quantities  of  fiirs  and  Indian 
goods  were  also  exported  in  exchange  for  various 
commodities  from  Great  Britain,  and  sugar,  mo- 
lasses, and  rum  from  the  West  Indies. 

Among  the  various  Colonial  cities  and  towns  of 
greater  or  less  importance  socially,  politically,  and 
commercially,  it  is  not  strange,  when  a  capital  was 
to  be  chosen  for  the  new  federation  of  States,  that 
the  claims  of  many  aspirants  to  this  honor  should 
have  been  presented.  None  north  of  New  York 
or  south  of  Annapolis  were  seriously  considered. 
This  latter  gay  little  town  felt  that  it  had  strong 
claims  to  political  preferment,  which  its  corporation, 
led  by  Mayor  Samuel  Chase,  did  not  hesitate  to  set 
forth  with  emphasis.  The  Honorable  Congress 
was  duly  reminded  of  the  advantages  of  Annapolis, 
especially  "  its  central  situation  to  the  Federal  States, 
and  the  convenience  of  the  members  of  Congress 
to  repair  thither  by  land  or  water :  the  facility  of 
receiving  and  conveying  intelligence  to  Europe 
an^  its  remarkable  healthiness  and  capacity  of 
defence  from  any  attack  of  an  enemy :  being  in  the 
opinion  of  this  corporation  the  most  eligible  place 
in  the  United  States  for  the  residence  of  the  Hon- 
orable Congress  and  their  officers  and  foreign 
ministers."  * 

*  Copied  from  Proceedings  of  the  Corporation  of  Annapolis, 
1783- 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


The  relegating  of  the  capital  of  the  new  re- 
pubHc  to  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  or  the  River 
of  Swans,  as  the  Indians  had  named  it,  was  not 
accomplished  without  many  heated  discussions  on 
the  floor  of  Congress.  It  was  while  this  ques- 
tion was  under  debate  that  Fisher  Ames,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, doubted  whether  "  the  govemment  would 
stand  the  shock  of  a  selection  which  involved 
as  many  passions  as  the  human  heart  could  dis- 

The  subject  of  the  "  Residence  Bill,"  as  it  was 
called,  was  treated  of  in  the  diary  of  Honorable 
William  Maclay,  of  Pennsylvania,  with  much  ac- 
rimony and  not  a  little  dry  humor.  President 
Washington,  who  was  one  of  the  few  persons 
whom  Mr.  Maclay  was  usually  able  to  admire, 
came  in  for  his  full  share  of  blame,  because  Mr. 
Maclay  considered  him  to  be  too  much  under 
the  influence  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  who,  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania Senator's  mind,  represented  the  arch-enemy 
of  true  Democracy.  When  Mr.  Maclay  realized 
that  the  location  of  the  national  capital  was  bound 
up  with  the  Assumption  Bill,  and  that  the  Presi- 
dent had  been  inoculated  with  the  "funding  dis- 
ease," he  exclaimed  in  hot  indignation,  "  Alas,  that 
the  affection — nay,  almost  admiration — of  the 
people  should  meet  so  unworthy  a  return  !  Here 
are  their  best  interests  sacrificed  to  the  vain  whim 
of  fixing  Congress  and  a  great  commercial  town 
23 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

(so  opposite  to  the  genius  of  the  Southern  planter) 
on  the  Potomac,"  etc. 

According  to  Mr.  Jefferson's  statement  in  his 
"Anas,"  the  site  of  the  capital  was  not  really- 
decided  in  Congress,  but  over  the  Virginia  states- 
man's dinner-table.  It  may  have  been  to  this  din- 
ner that  Mr.  Maclay  referred  when  he  wrote  in  his 
New  York  diary,  July  20,  1 790 :  "  There  was  a 
dinner  this  day  which  I  had  no  notice  of,  and 
never  thought  of  such  a  thing."  Mr.  Jefferson, 
then  Secretary  of  State,  had  recently  returned  from 
abroad.  Colonel  Hamilton  met  him  in  front  of 
the  President's  house,  and  as  the  two  walked  up 
and  down  the  street  together,  Hamilton  explained 
to  Jefferson  the  strained  relations  between  the 
North  and  South.  If,  he  argued,  the  North  ac- 
cepted the  bill  for  the  assumption  of  the  domestic 
debt  and  secured  the  "  residence  of  the  capital"  for  a 
Northem  city,  Mr.  Hamilton  clearly  saw  before  the 
country  dangers  and  difficulties,  even  the  secession 
of  the  Southern  States ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
if  the  war  debt  of  twenty  millions  were  not  as- 
sumed by  the  general  govemment,  it  was  feared 
that  the  Eastern  or  creditor  States  might  secede 
from  the  federation.  Plainly,  a  compromise  was 
necessary  in  the  opinion  of  the  wise  and  far-seeing 
Hamilton.  Mr.  Jefferson  pleaded  ignorance  of  the 
matter,  as  he  had  been  abroad.  He  would,  he  said, 
be  pleased  if  Colonel  Hamilton  would  dine  with 
24 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


him  the  next  day,  meet  a  few  Virginians,  and  dis- 
cuss the  question  calmly  over  Madeira  and  punch. 
Like  many  other  important  matters,  the  site  of  the 
capital  was  decided  over  a  glass  of  wine,  and  before 
the  guests  quitted  the  table  the  compromise  was 
agreed  upon, — in  this  case  one  that  the  nation 
has  never  had  reason  to  regret.  A  bill  was  intro- 
duced, which  promptly  passed  both  Houses,  by 
which  "the  President  was  authorized  to  appoint 
commissioners  to  survey,  under  his  own  direction, 
a  district  of  territory,  not  exceeding  ten  miles  square, 
at  some  place  on  the  River  Potomac,  between  the 
mouths  of  the  Eastern  Branch  and  the  Conoco- 
cheague." 

When  it  was  finally  decided  to  place  the  capital 
on  the  Potomac,  and  the  Northem  members  were 
appeased  by  the  assumption  of  the  war  debt,  whose 
obligations  were  heavier  North  than  South,  there 
was  still  something  to  be  done  in  order  to  pacify 
Pennsylvania.  This  State,  whose  capital  had  been 
the  scene  of  the  most  important  civic  events  of 
the  Revolution,  and  whose  great  financiers,  Robert 
Morris  and  Thomas  Willing,  had  supplied  the 
Commander-in-Chief  with  the  sinews  of  war,  could 
not  well  be  overlooked.  Indeed,  there  had  been 
good  reason  to  expect  a  Pennsylvania  town  to  be 
the  site  of  the  national  govemment,  as  a  bill  had 
passed  both  Houses  in  September,  1789,  locating 
the  capital  in  a  ten-mile  square  of  the  quaint  and 
25 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

picturesque  village  of  Germantown  *  That  this 
old  German  settlement  should  have  been  thus 
distinguished  was  no  more  remarkable  than  that 
Trenton,  Harrisburg,  Wright's  Ferry,  Lancaster,  and 
various  other  unimportant  inland  towns  should  have 
been  seriously  considered  as  sites  for  the  capital  city. 
Strange  as  these  suggestions  seem  to  us  to-day,  the 
choice  of  the  unimproved  tract  of  land  upon  the 
Potomac,  covered  with  sparse,  marshy  growth  in 
some  places  and  with  forests  in  others,  in  which 
Mr.  Thomas  Twining  lost  his  way  while  journey- 
ing to  Mr.  Law's  house,  seemed  even  less  prom- 
ising. So  uninviting,  indeed,  was  the  prospect  that 
Mr.  Andrew  Ellicott,  the  engineer  who  made  the 
first  topographical  survey  of  the  district,  revealed  to 
his  wife,  in  a  sudden  burst  of  conjugal  confidence,  an 
opinion  as  to  the  relative  attractions  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania and  national  capitals  which  he  would  not  have 
her  repeat,  as  "  the  President  is,"  he  says,  "  so  much 
attached  to  this  country  I  would  not  be  willing 
that  he  should  know  my  real  sentiments  about  it. 

*  It  has  so  often  been  said  that  Philadelphia  was  not  chosen 
as  the  seat  of  the  national  government  in  consequence  of  the 
frequent  and  violent  outbreaks  of  yellow  fever  in  the  Quaker 
City  that  it  seems  worth  while  to  state  that  the  most  severe  and 
prolonged  epidemics  of  yellow  fever  occurred  while  Congress 
was  in  session  in  Philadelphia,  after  the  whole  question  of  the 
residence  had  been  finally  settled,  and  the  bill  in  favor  of  the 
banks  of  the  Potomac  had  passed  both  Houses. 
26 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


But  with  you,  my  dear,  whose  love  and  affection  I 
have  constantly  experienced  almost  from  our  in- 
fancy, I  am  not  afraid  to  make  my  sentiments 
known.  This  country,  intended  for  the  permanent 
residence  of  Congress,  bears  no  more  proportion  to 
the  country  about  Philadelphia  and  Germantown, 
for  either  wealth  or  fertility,  than  a  crane  does  to  a 
stall-fed  ox." 

Although  Mr.  Ellicott  expressed  himself  with  so 
much  caution,  it  must  surely  have  been  an  open 
secret  that  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  several 
other  towns  offered  stronger  claims  for  consideration 
as  the  permanent  seat  of  government  than  the  em- 
bryo city  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.  For 
years  to  come  both  Senators  and  Representatives,  in 
common  with  their  respective  consorts,  bewailed  the 
fate  that  forced  them  to  relinquish  the  comforts  and 
social  pleasures  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  for 
the  uncertainties  of  the  new  capital.  Even  that 
daughter  of  the  Puritans,  Mrs.  John  Adams,  accord- 
ing to  her  own  account,  found  herself  in  a  whirl  of 
gayety  in  Philadelphia,  while  her  husband,  the  Vice- 
President,  spoke  of  theatre-going  as  one  of  the  relax- 
ations of  official  life.  One  night  he  wrote  of  accom- 
panying the  President's  party,  which  included  his 
nephew,  Mr.  George  S.  Washington  and  his  pretty 
young  bride,  who  was  a  sister  of  Mrs.  James  Mad- 
ison, to  see  "  The  Rage"  and  "  The  Spoiled  Child." 
"  It  rained,"  said  Mr.  Adams,  "  and  the  house  was 
27 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

not  foil.  I  thought  I  perceived  a  little  mortifica- 
tion." 

John  Adams  seems  to  have  been  all  too  ready- 
to  ascribe  to  the  President  emotions  and  motives 
that  found  a  place  in  his  own  breast.  Some  of 
the  most  amusing  passages  in  his  letters  are  those 
in  which  he  falls  to  wondering  whether  the  Presi- 
dent is  sincere  in  his  frequently  avowed  intention 
to  retire  at  the  end  of  his  second  term.  At  the 
close  of  one  of  his  letters,  Mr.  Adams  wrote,  "  I 
am  so  fatigued  and  disgusted  with  the  insipidity  of 
this  dull  life,  that  I  am  half  of  a  mind  to  vow  that 
if  Washington  don't  resign  I  will.  The  old  hero 
looks  very  grave  of  late." 

In  another  letter  the  Vice-President  wrote,  "  Mrs. 
Washington  is  very  happy  at  present  in  a  visit  from 
her  two  granddaughters,  N.'s  sisters,  as  I  suppose 
they  are.  One  of  them  is  a  fine,  blooming,  rosy 
girl,  who,  I  dare  say,  has  had  more  liberty  and 
exercise  than  Nelly."  The  blooming  beauty  of 
whom  Mr.  Adams  speaks  was  doubtless  Eliza  Cus- 
tis,  who  afiierwards  married  Mr.  Thomas  Law,  a 
nephew  of  Lord  EUenborough.  Mr.  Law,  who 
met  Miss  Custis  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Philadel- 
phia, found  favor  in  her  eyes  and  in  those  of  the 
General  and  Mrs.  Washington ;  and  the  young 
girl's  parents  placing  no  obstacles  in  the  way  of  his 
marriage  with  their  daughter,  the  wedding  of  Miss 
Custis  and  Mr.  Law  was  celebrated  at  Hope  Park, 
28 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


near  Fairfax  Court-House,  the  home  of  the  bride's 
step-father,  Dr.  Stuart. 

Mr.  James  Greenleaf,  of  Massachusetts,  who 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Law  in  his  speculations  in 
Washington  lands,  had,  like  him,  interests  of  a  more 
sentimental  nature  in  Philadelphia.  In  one  of  his 
letters  Mr.  Law  encouraged  Mr.  Greenleaf  with 
regard  to  his  prospects  with  Miss  Allen  by  telling 
him  that  she  had  expressed  a  desire  to  see  him  again 
in  Philadelphia. 

The  young  New  Englander's  family  connections 
and  associations  were  calculated  to  please  the  aristo- 
cratic Aliens,  while  his  manners  and  conversation 
are  described  as  dignified  and  charming.  The  long 
descent  of  the  Greenleaf  family  was  celebrated 
many  years  after  by  a  worthy  member  of  the  ancient 
Huguenot  line,  the  poet  John  Greenleaf  Whittier, 
who  wrote, — 

"  The  name  the  Gallic  exile  bore, 

St.  Malo  !  from  thy  ancient  mart. 
Became  upon  our  Western  shore 
Greenleaf  for  Feuillevert. 

*  ♦  A  name  to  hear  in  soft  accord 

Of  leaves  by  light  winds  overrun. 
Or  read,  upon  the  greening  sward 
Of  May,  in  shade  and  sun." 

One  of   Mr.  Greenleaf's  sisters  married  Noah 
Webster  of  dictionary  renown.     John  Trumbull, 
29 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

speaking  of  this  marriage,  said,  "  Webster  has  re- 
turned, and  brought  with  him  a  very  pretty  wife. 
I  wish  him  success ;  but  I  doubt,  in  the  present 
decay  of  business  in  our  profession,  whether  his 
profits  will  enable  him  to  keep  up  the  style  he  sets 
out  with.  I  fear  he  will  breakfast  upon  Institutes, 
dine  upon  Dissertations,  and  go  to  bed  supperless." 
Anne  Penn  Allen,  whom  Mr.  Greenleaf  married  in 
1800,  was  a  granddaughter  of  Chief  Justice  Allen, 
of  Philadelphia,  and  a  niece  of  another  beautiful 
Ann  Allen,  whom  Mr.  John  Swanwick  described 
in  his  verses  as  "  youthful  Allen  of  majestic  mien." 
This  Ann  Allen  became  the  wife  of  Governor  John 
Penn,  and  the  niece  was  evidently  named  for  her. 
Miss  Allen's  father,  James  Allen,  died  during  the 
Revolution,  leaving  a  beautiful  widow  of  twenty- 
seven  and  three  daughters.  When  Mrs.  James 
Allen's  days  of  mourning  were  over  she  removed 
to  Philadelphia,  where  her  house  is  described  as  one 
of  the  most  popular  in  the  city.  The  youngest 
daughter  of  the  family,  Mary  Allen,  writing  of 
social  life  in  Philadelphia  after  the  Revolution,  said, 
"  Crowds  of  foreigners  of  the  highest  rank  poured 
into  Philadelphia,  and  Ministers  with  their  suites 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  came  to  bow  to  Wash- 
ington and  the  Republic ; — at  this  time  I  was  not 
grown  up,  but  my  Mother  and  her  two  elder 
daughters  were  equally  Belles ;  at  length  my 
Mother  married  a  Senator  in  Congress  from  New 
30 


James  Greenleaf 
By  Gilbert  Stuart 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


York,  Mr.  Lawrence.  She  removed  there  with 
him,  but  returned  to  pass  her  winters  in  Philadel- 
phia during  the  Sessions  of  Congress.  ...  In  the 
Spring  we  went  to  Fairy  Hill,  a  beautiful  spot  on 
the  Schuylkill,  which  belonged  to  us,  and  after- 
wards to  AUentown,  where  we  remained  till 
Autumn." 

Mary  Allen,  in  her  ingenuous  girlish  narrative, 
says  that  by  this  time  her  second  sister,  Margaret 
Elizabeth,  had  become  the  wife  of  William  Tilgh- 
man,  afterwards  chief  justice  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
that  her  grandmother  and  her  sister  Anne  and  her- 
self accepted  her  mother's  urgent  invitation  to 
spend  the  winter  in  New  York.  It  was  during 
this  visit  that  the  young  chronicler  met  Henry 
Walter  Livingston,  whom  she  afterwards  married, 
and  here  Anne  Allen  probably  met  Mr.  Greenleaf 
His  name  appears  in  the  directory  of  1795  as  re- 
siding at  No.  1 1 2  Liberty  Street,  while  under  the 
sign  "  Watson,  Greenleaf  &  Cotton,  No.  7  Crane 
Wharf,"  an  extensive  commercial  business  was 
transacted. 

"  Behold  us  in  New  York,"  wrote  Mary  Allen, 
"at  37  Broadway,  living  in  splendor,  and  my 
young  heart  intoxicated  with  pleasure.  My  beau- 
tiful sister  (afterwards  Mrs.  Greenleaf)  was  a  bril- 
liant luminary  which  seemed  to  animate  everything 
w^ithin  its  influence,  and  I  was  the  modest  satellite 
shining  with  a  reflected  lustre." 
31 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Although  Mary  Allen  speaks  so  disparagingly 
of  her  own  attractions,  she  is  described  by  Dr. 
Benjamin  Rush  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
charming  women  of  her  time.  While  visiting 
Linlithgow,  Livingston  Manor,  about  1806,  Dr. 
Rush  drew  a  pen-picture  of  Mrs.  Walter  Living- 
ston, which,  though  written  in  the  stilted  and  exag- 
gerated style  of  the  day,  breathes  in  every  line  a 
sincere  admiration  and  respect  for  the  lovely  young 
chatelaine  of  Livingston  Manor. 

Mrs.  John  Adams's  letters  from  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  are  less  full  of  details  about  the  people 
whom  she  met  than  those  of  an  earlier  date,  and  for 
the  very  good  reason  that  her  chief  correspondent 
and  "  dearest  friend,"  the  Vice-President,  was  usually 
at  her  side.  In  a  letter  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Shaw,  she 
descants  upon  the  attractions  of  Richmond  Hill, 
which,  she  says,  "  for  natural  beauty  may  vie  with 
the  most  delicious  spot  I  ever  saw."  It  Is  interest- 
ing to  read  Mrs.  Adams's  description  of  this  place, 
which  is  now  a  part  of  the  city  of  New  York, "  with 
its  venerable  oaks,  and  ground  covered  with  wild 
shrubs,  where  a  lovely  variety  of  birds  serenade  me 
every  morning  and  evening,  rejoicing  in  their  liberty 
and  security." 

If  Mrs.  Adams's  letters  are  less  satisfactory,  other 
chroniclers  had  arisen  whose  pens  were  ready  to 
descant  upon  the  gossip,  beauties,  and  fashions  of 
the  day.     Miss  Mary  Binney  wrote  to  her  cousin, 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


Mrs.  Simon  Jackson,  of  Newton,  Massachusetts, 
of  the  extreme  gayety  of  the  Quaker  City.  "  I 
have  not,"  she  says,  "one  minute  to  spare  from 
French,  music,  balls,  and  plays.  Oh  dear,  this  dis- 
sipation will  kill  me  !  for  you  must  know  our  social 
tea  drinkings  of  one  or  two  friends  is  an  assembly 
of  two  or  three  hundred  souls." 

Another  girl  correspondent,  writing  to  Mrs.  Jack- 
son about  the  same  time,  said,  "  Now  for  fashions, 
and  in  order  to  be  methodical  I  will  begin  at  the 
head,  though  the  dress  of  that  is  so  varied  that  I 
hardly  know  how  to  describe  it.  Small  beaver 
hats  are  very  much  worn,  not  with  caps ;  ribbon 
through  the  hair,  with  a  rose  on  the  side,  or  a  half 
handkerchief  put  on  turban  fashion  with  the  corner 
down  behind,  the  hair  cut  short  at  the  sides,  the 
curls  craped  out  full,  smooth  on  the  forehead." 

This  arrangement  of  the  hair  which  the  Water- 
town  belle  evidently  found  so  attractive  appears  to 
be  very  much  like  Mrs.  Stoddert's  description  of  her 
own  coiffure.  "  Instead  of  a  wig,"  she  says,  "  I  have 
a  bando,  which  suits  me  much  better.  I  had  it  in 
contemplation  to  get  a  wig,  but  I  have  got  what  I 
like  much  better  for  myself  It  is  called  a  bando. 
I  think  the  former  best  for  those  who  dress  in  a 
different  style  from  myself,  but  the  latter  suits  me 
best.  I  heard  the  ladies  with  whom  I  was  in 
company  last  night  say  that  the  fashionable  manner 
of  dressing  the  hair  was  more  like  the  Indians — 

3  2,Z 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  hair  without  powder — and  looked  sleek  and 
hung  down  the  forehead  in  strings.  Mine  will  do 
that  to  a  nicety.  I  observe  powder  is  scarcely 
worn,  only,  I  believe,  by  those  who  are  gray, — too 
much  so  to  go  without  powder,  I  mean.  How 
those  ladies  in  the  Indian  fashion  dress  their  hair  be- 
hind I  cannot  say ;  but  those  out  of  that  fashion 
that  I  have  seen,  and  who  do  not  wear  wigs,  have 
six  or  eight  curls  in  their  neck,  and  turn  up  the  rest 
and  curl  the  ends,  which  I  think  looks  very  pretty 
when  well  done." 

Mrs.  Benjamin  Stoddert,  whose  husband  was  a 
member  of  Mr.  Adams's  cabinet,*  wrote  from 
Philadelphia  many  charming  letters  to  her  family, 
giving  them  vivid  and  spicily  interpolated  descrip- 
tions of  the  gayeties  that  surrounded  her,  of  the 
fashion  and  beauties  of  the  day,  of  birthnight  balls, 
of  levees  at  Mrs.  Adams's  and  Lady  Liston's,  and 
of  brilliant,  sumptuous  entertainments  at  Mrs.  Bing- 
ham's. In  one  of  her  letters  to  her  niece.  Miss 
Eliza  Gantt,  of  Graden,  Mrs.  Stoddert,  after  retail- 
ing a  piece  of  current  gossip  connected  with  the 
elopement  of  Mr.  William  Bingham's  daughter, 
quotes  Mr.  Stoddert  as  saying  that  "  large  towns 
are  terrible  places  for  young  females,"  adding  "  and 


*  Benjamin  Stoddert  was  in  May,  1798,  appointed  by  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  the  recently  formed  Naval  Bureau,  and  was 
consequently  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
34 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


I  am  sure  I  can  find  nothing  in  this  to  make  an  old 
female  wish  to  remain  in  it  one  moment  longer 
than  necessity  obliges." 

The  social  life  of  the  capital,  with  which  Mrs. 
Stoddert  was  so  ready  to  find  fault,  was  composed, 
whatever  may  have  been  its  shortcomings,  of 
the  best  elements  from  Colonial  cities,  North  arid 
South.  Here  were  gathered  together  representa- 
tive men  from  each  State  of  the  federation,  in  days 
when  the  best  men  in  the  community  entered  into 
political  life.  Even  if  there  was  some  exaggeration 
in  the  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld's  gallant  observation 
that  "  in  the  numerous  assemblies  of  Philadelphia  it 
is  impossible  to  meet  with  what  is  called  a  plain 
woman,"  the  American  women  of  that  day  had 
already  proved  their  ability  to  bear  favorable  com- 
parison with  those  of  England  and  France.  In 
addition  to  such  native  beauties  as  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam Bingham,  Miss  Sally  McKean,  Mrs.  Samuel 
Blodget,  and  Mrs.  Adams's  "  constellation  of  beau- 
ties," there  were  Mrs.  Ralph  Izard,  wife  of  the 
Senator  from  South  Carolina,  and  beautiful  Mrs. 
Elbridge  Gerry,  both  New  York  women ;  while 
from  a  sister  State  came  Mrs.  John  Jay,  who  was  so 
wise  a  woman  that  her  pretty  head  was  not  readily 
turned  by  compliments,  even  so  great  as  to  have  the 
audience  of  a  French  theatre  rise  en  masse  upon  her 
entrance,  mistaking  the  wife  of  the  American  diplo- 
mat for  their  beautiful  queen,  Marie  Antoinette. 

35 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Some  people  and  things  in  Philadelphia  Mrs. 
Stoddert  found  to  her  liking,  among  them  the 
amusing,  original  conversation  of  Mrs.  Samuel 
Blodget  and  the  home-like  charm  of  Mrs.  Oliver 
Wolcott,  with  whom  she  was  on  most  friendly 
terms,  consulting  her  about  the  ailments  of  her 
little  ones,  and  exchanging  with  her  what  she 
laughingly  called  "old  women's  receipts."  Mrs. 
Bingham's  ball  the  critical  lady  also  found  to  her 
taste.  This  festivity  she  attended  in  the  good  com- 
pany of  Mrs.  Harrison,  a  Maryland  woman,  and  a 
daughter  of  General  Washington's  old  friend,  Dr. 
Craik : 

'  *  About  half-past  seven  I  called  for  Mrs.  Harrison,  and  we 
made  our  appearance  at  Mrs.  Bingham's.  But  instead  of  her 
being  in  a  little  room,  as  you  have  been  told,  till  all  her  com- 
pany arrived,  she  was  seated  at  the  head  of  the  drawing-room, 
I  should  call  it,  or,  in  other  words,  on  one  side  of  the  chimney, 
with  three  ladies  only.  There  were  some  young  ladies  in 
another  room,  where  her  two  daughters  were  also,  who,  upon 
my  inquiring  after  their  health,  were  sent  for  by  their  mamma. 
I  should  suppose  that  it  was  near  nine  o'clock  before  the  dancing 
commenced.  At  the  end  of  the  first  dance,  or  near  it,  punch 
and  lemonade  were  brought  in.  That  was  the  first  refreshment. 
Some  time  after,  I  think,  it  was  brought  in  again,  and  soon  after 
the  best  ice-cream,  as  well  as  the  prettiest,  that  ever  I  saw  was 
carried  around  in  beautiful  china  cups  and  gilt  spoons.  The 
latter  I  had  seen  there  before.  Except  punch  and  lemonade, 
nothing  more  to  eat  till  supper,  which  we  were  summoned  to  at 
eleven,  when  the  most  superb  thing  of  the  kind  which  I  ever 
saw  was  presented  to  our  view, — though  those  who  have  been 
36 


Mrs.  John  Jay 

Copied  from  a  medallion  in  a  bracelet 

bv  Daniel  Huntington 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


there  before  say  that  the  supper  was  not  as  elegant  as  they  had 
seen  there.  In  the  middle  was  an  orange-tree  with  ripe  fruit ; 
and  where  a  common  spectator  might  imagine  the  root  was,  it 
was  covered  with  evergreens,  some  natural  and  some  artificial 
flowers.  Nothing  scarcely  appeared  on  the  table  without  ever- 
greens to  decorate  it.  The  girondole,  which  hangs  immediately 
over  the  table,  was  let  down  just  to  reach  the  top  of  the  tree. 
You  can't  think  how  beautiful  it  looked.  I  imagine  there  were 
thirty  at  the  table,  besides  a  table  full  in  another  room,  and  I 
believe  every  soul  said,  *  How  pretty  !'  as  soon  as  they  were 
seated  ;  all  in  my  hearing,  as  with  one  consent,  uttered  the  same 
thing.  ...  At  twelve  o'clock  or  a  little  after  Mrs.  Harrison 
and  I  left  the  ball.  We  were  among  the  first  to  come  away. 
Never  did  I  see  such  a  number  of  carriages,  except  on  a  race- 
ground.  '  * 

Of  another  ball,  given  before  the  Stodderts  ar- 
rived in  Philadelphia,  which  made  considerable  stir 
in  political  as  well  as  in  social  circles,  Mr.  Albert 
Gallatin  wrote  to  his  wife :  "  Do  you  want  to  know 
the  fashionable  news  of  the  day  *?  The  President 
of  the  United  States  has  written,  in  answer  to  the 
managers  of  the  ball  in  honor  of  George  Wash- 
ington's birthday,  that  he  took  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity of  informing  that  he  declined  going.  The 
court  is  in  a  prodigious  uproar  about  that  impor- 
tant event.  The  ministers  and  their  wives  do  not 
know  how  to  act  upon  the  occasion."  Mr.  Gal- 
latin added  that  a  most  powerful  battery  had  been 
opened  against  him  to  induce  him  to  attend  the 
ball,  the  arguments  in  favor  of  his  going  being 
37 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

"  urged  by  a  fine  lady,  by  Mrs.  Law,  and  when 
supported  by  her  handsome  black  eyes  they  ap- 
peared very  formidable.  Yet  I  resisted  and  came 
off  conqueror,  although  I  was  as  a  reward  to  lead 
her  into  the  room,  to  dance  with  her,  etc.  Our 
club  has  given  me  great  credit  for  my  firmness,  and 
we  have  agreed  that  two  or  three  of  us  who  are 
accustomed  to  go  to  these  places,  Langdon,  Brent, 
etc.,  will  go  this  time  to  please  the  Law  family." 

Whether  Mr.  Adams's  refiisal  to  attend  the 
birthnight  ball  was  due,  as  alleged,  to  conscientious 
scruples  against  such  celebrations  as  "  anti-republi- 
can and  dangerous  precedents,"  or  to  the  over- 
mastering and  ineradicable  jealousy  of  Washing- 
ton that  marred  so  much  that  was  fine  in  the 
character  of  John  Adams,  does  not  appear.  Mr. 
Morse,  in  speaking  of  some  changes  made  in  his 
cabinet  by  President  Adams,  says  that  "  He  ap- 
peared, at  this  time,  in  one  of  his  worst  moods, 
mingled  of  anger,  egotism,  and  that  one  great 
foolish  jealousy  of  his  life,  which  consumed  his 
heart  whenever  he  heard  the  praises  of  Washington." 

Mr.  Adams  was  by  no  means  the  only  person 
disposed  to  find  fault  with  what  they  considered  the 
dangerously  aristocratic  tendencies  of  the  republican 
court  under  the  first  President  and  his  lady. 
Thomas  Jefferson  is  said  to  have  kept  the  date  of 
his  own  birth  a  secret  in  order  to  avoid  birthday 
celebrations;  while  Senator  Maclay,  who  was 
38 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


"  nothing  if  not  critical,"  after  donning  his  best 
clothes  and  making  his  bow  at  the  President's  levee, 
which  he  characterized  as  "  an  idle  thing,"  in  the 
privacy  of  his  chamber  gave  way  to  the  violence 
of  his  emotions  in  language  so  intemperate  that 
we  wonder  he  ventured  to  confide  his  expressions 
to  the  pages  of  his  diary.  "  If  there  is  treason  in 
the  wish,"  he  said,  "  I  retract  it,  but  would  to  God 
this  same  General  Washington  was  in  heaven  I 
We  would  not  then  have  him  brought  forward  as 
the  constant  cover  to  every  unconstitutional  and 
un-republican  act." 

It  is  a  rather  significant  fact  that  even  his  politi- 
cal enemies  wished  nothing  worse  for  "  this  same 
General  Washington"  than  translation  to  a  better 
world. 

Upon  another  occasion,  while  near  the  President's 
house  on  Market  Street,  Mr.  Maclay  said  that  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  overpersuaded  by  Mr.  Cyrus 
Griffin  and  Mr.  Osgood  to  go  into  the  President's 
New  Year's  reception,  just  as  he  was,  "  in  top  boots 
and  my  worst  clothes."  Although  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Senator's  lack  of  ceremony  could  not  have 
escaped  the  discerning  Washington,  he  was,  he  says, 
"received  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  and 
asked  to  partake  of  punch  and  cake,  which  I  de- 
clined," said  Mr.  Maclay,  "and  the  diplomatic 
gentry  and  foreigners  coming  in,  I  embraced  the 
first  vacancy  to  make  my  bow  and  wish  him  good 

39 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

morning."  If  the  coteries  of  the  Lady  Presidentess, 
as  one  of  the  New  England  Senators  was  wont  to 
call  Mrs.  Washington's  receptions,  appeared  to  pro- 
vincial eyes  and  to  those  of  persons  who  held  ultra- 
republican  views  to  savor  of  the  luxury  and  cere- 
mony of  foreign  courts,  they  seem  to  us,  as  we  read 
of  them,  with  their  slight  refreshment  and  their 
early  hours,  to  have  been  extremely  simple,  espe- 
cially when  contrasted  with  the  elaborate  entertain- 
ments of  Mrs.  Bingham  and  other  leaders  of  fashion 
in  Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Adams's  receptions,  as  de- 
scribed in  the  letters  of  Mrs.  Stoddert  and  other 
chroniclers  of  the  day,  did  not  differ  materially  from 
those  of  the  first  President's  wife,  except  that  the 
hours  may  have  been  a  trifle  later,  Mrs.  Adams 
having  a  much  more  genuine  love  for  society  than 
her  predecessor. 

The  most  agreeable  descriptions  of  the  Adams 
family  during  their  Philadelphia  residence  are  to  be 
found  in  Mrs.  Stoddert's  letters.  Benjamin  Stoddert 
was  a  great  favorite  of  the  President,  and  Mrs. 
Stoddert  came  in  for  a  share  of  friendliness  from  Mrs. 
Adams,  the  good  lady  even  carrying  her  attentions 
so  far  as  to  offer  her  "  some  drops"  at  one  of  her 
drawing-rooms,  "  taking  it  into  her  head  from  my 
pale  looks,"  said  Mrs.  Stoddert,  "  that  I  was  going 
to  faint,  which  brought  a  little  red  to  my  cheeks." 

Elizabeth  Stoddert,  the  "  Betsy"  of  her  mother's 
letters,  writing  in  January,  1800,  to  Miss  Lowndes, 


^     W    I       ! 


■sniKi 


A   SOCIAL   EVOLUTION 


gives  a  pleasant  picture  of  Mrs.  Adams  ministering 
to  the  sweet  tooth  of  the  Stoddert  family :  "  I 
must  not  omit  to  tell  you  that  though  mamma 
has  not  been  as  yet  to  wait  on  Mrs.  Adams,  that 
good  and  handsome  old  lady  called  to  see  her  this 
afternoon,  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Smith,  and 
brought  more  plum-cake  for  the  children  than  all 
of  them  could  eat.  You  may  be  sure  after  this 
she  is  a  great  favorite  of  the  whole  family." 

"  Betsy"  Stoddert's  pretty  face  appears  in  a  group 
painted  by  Charles  Wilson  Peale,  which  includes 
her  brother  Benjamin  and  her  baby  sister  Harriot. 
The  elder  sister  entered  as  a  very  young  girl  into 
some  of  the  gayeties  of  Philadelphia  before  return- 
ing to  Georgetown  with  her  parents  to  enjoy  a 
social  life  which,  if  less  brilliant,  was  much  preferred 
by  her  prudent  mamma. 


41 


II 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

IN  Boston  it  is  said  that  the  winding  streets 
which  so  perplex  strangers  were  made  to  follow 
the  cow-paths  of  more  primitive  days.  Wandering 
through  the  widespread  thoroughfares  of  Wash- 
ington, losing  one's  self  in  a  labyrinth  of  streets 
and  avenues,  to  awaken  in  a  circle,  one  might 
almost  believe  that  these  intricate  streets  and  ave- 
nues had  been  laid  out  upon  the  circuitous  windings 
of  an  old  Indian  trail.  This  theory,  however,  falls 
to  the  ground  before  the  many  documents  which 
prove  that  the  plan  of  the  city  of  Washington, 
mysterious  and  unique  as  it  is  beautiful,  is  the  result 
of  a  most  carefully  defined  system  of  streets,  ave- 
nues, and  circles. 

Even  if  we  may  not  trace  the  footprints  of  the 
tribes  of  the  forest  in  the  winding  streets  of  the 
capital,  it  is  interesting  to  leam  from  those  who 
have  studied  the  life  and  habits  of  the  earlier  races 
upon  this  continent,  that  the  broad  plain  and  series 
of  terraces  which  General  Washington  chose  for 
the  site  of  the  federal  city  was  once  the  favorite 
gathering-place  of  the  powerful  Algonquin  federa- 
tion. Near  Capitol  Hill,  where  the  laws  are  now 
made  for  the  guidance  of  our  nation,  was  once  a 
42 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

central  Indian  village  where  sachems  met  in  coun- 
cil and  the  smoke  of  signal-fires  ascended  towards 
the  blue  vault  that  now  arches  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  modern  capitals.* 

General  Washington  probably  knew  that  "the 
ten-mile  square"  had  once  been  the  central  seat  of 
an  Indian  nation,  says  Martin ;  and  although  this 
may  have  appeared  to  him  an  interesting  coinci- 
dence, his  choice  of  the  site  of  the  new  city  was 
guided  by  considerations  more  practical  and  less 
sentimental. 

Jefferson  and  Madison  were  closely  associated 
with  Washington  in  the  choice  of  a  site  for  the 
capital,  and  numerous  letters,  still  preserved  in  the 
Department  of  State,  prove  how  eamestly  and  con- 
scientiously they  all  considered  this  subject. 

"  In  1 800  we  are  to  go  to  the  Indian  place  with 
the    long   name,  on  the    Potomac,"  wrote  Oliver 

'!<  <<  The  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  Capitol  Hill,  washed  by  the 
Tiber  Creek,  the  Potomac,  and  the  Eastern  Branch,  it  is  stated 
on  the  authority  of  some  of  the  early  settlers,  was  periodically 
visited  by  the  Indians,  who  named  it  their  fishing-ground,  in 
contradistinction  to  their  hunting-ground  ;  and  that  they  assem- 
bled there  in  great  numbers  in  the  spring  months  to  procure  fish. 
Greenleaf's  Point  was  the  principal  camp  and  the  residence  of 
the  chiefs,  where  councils  were  held  among  the  various  tribes 
thus  gathered  together.  The  coincidence  of  the  location  of  the 
National  Legislature  so  near  the  site  of  the  council-house  of  an 
Indian  nation  cannot  fail  to  excite  interest." — '*  Gazetteer  of 
Virginia  and  the  District  of  Columbia,"  by  Joseph  Martin. 
43 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Wolcott,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Mr.  Wolcott 
evidently  referred  to  the  mouth  of  the  Conoco- 
cheague,  in  Washington  County,  Maryland,  as,  ac- 
cording to  the  act  of  July  i6,  1790,  "the  Presi- 
dent was  authorized  to  appoint  commissioners  to 
survey,  under  his  own  direction,  a  district  of  territory, 
not  exceeding  ten  miles  square,  at  some  place  on 
the  River  Potomac,  between  the  mouths  of  the 
Eastern  Branch  and  the  Conococheague." 

Despite  the  various  disparaging  remarks  made 
upon  the  choice  of  the  V-shaped  plateau  on  the 
Potomac  as  the  site  of  the  new  capital,  other  per- 
sons beside  Washington  had  recognized  its  pos- 
sibilities. It  is  a  rather  curious  coincidence  that 
Thomas  Lee,  grandson  of  the  founder  of  the  Vir- 
ginia family,  declared  long  before  the  Revolution 
that  the  Colonies  would  one  day  be  independent, 
and  that  the  seat  of  government  would  be  located 
near  the  Falls  of  the  Potomac.  All  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  the  river  and  its  banks 
were  well  known  to  Washington,  as  he  had  been 
familiar  with  this  region  from  his  boyhood.  Here 
he  had  fished  and  hunted,  and  in  later  years 
had  made  an  extended  exploring  tour  to  the  waters 
of  the  upper  Potomac  to  ascertain  whether  it 
could  be  navigated  above  tide-water  at  George- 
town. Upon  this  excursion  he  was  accompanied 
by  several  gentlemen,  among  them  Governor  John- 
son, of  Maryland.     One  night,  when  lodging   at 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

the  house  of  a  planter  whose  accommodations 
were  rather  scanty,  General  Washington  and  two 
gentlemen  of  the  party  were  given  a  room  in 
which  were  only  two  beds.  Washington,  with  his 
habitual  courtesy,  turned  to  Governor  Johnson  and 
his  other  companions,  and  said,  with  a  smile, 
"  Come,  gentlemen,  who  will  be  my  bed-fellow  V 
Governor  Johnson,  in  relating  this  incident,  added, 
"Greatly  as  I  should  have  felt  honored  by  such 
distinction,  yet  the  awe  and  reverence  which  I 
always  felt  in  the  presence  of  that  admirable  man 
prevented  me  from  approaching  him  so  nearly." 

This  same  Thomas  Johnson  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  by  the  President  to  attend 
to  all  practical  details  connected  with  the  establish- 
ment of  the  seat  of  government.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  the  board  were  Daniel  Carroll — not  Carroll 
of  Duddington,  as  has  been  so  often  stated,  but  a 
cousin  of  the  same  name — and  Dr.  David  Stuart, 
who  was  an  old  and  trusted  friend  of  the  President. 
Dr.  Stuart  was  connected  with  Washington's 
family  by  maniage,  having  become  the  second 
husband  of  pretty  Eleanor  Custis,  the  widow  of 
John  Parke  Custis. 

In  his  diary  Washington  recorded  several  meet- 
ings with  the  commissioners  during  his  brief  holiday 
trips  to  Mount  Vernon.  On  March  28,  1791, 
he  wrote  that  he  found  the  interests  of  the  land- 
holders about  Georgetown  and  those  in  CarroUs- 
45 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

burgh  so  much  at  variance  that  they  might  prove 
injurious  to  the  best  interests  of  the  pubUc.  Again, 
however,  a  dinner  and  a  discussion  over  a  glass  of 
Madeira  seem  to  have  been  fruitful  in  good  results. 
The  President  wrote  more  cheerfully  of  the  prospects 
of  an  adjustment,  and  soon  after  sent  a  proclamation 
to  the  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Jefferson,  for  his 
official  signature,  in  which  were  defined  the  boun- 
dary lines  of  the  territory  selected  for  the  permanent 
seat  of  govemment  of  the  United  States. 

Major  Charles  Pierre  L'Enfant,  a  French  en- 
gineer who  had  served  with  distinction  in  the  Con- 
tinental army  during  the  Revolution  and  performed 
valuable  service  for  the  govemment  in  designing 
fortifications,  was  commissioned  to  lay  out  the  new 
city,  while  Mr.  Ellicott,  who,  despite  his  Quaker 
parentage,  had  enlisted  in  the  army  and  had  later 
settled  certain  important  boundary  lines  in  Penn- 
sylvania, was  appointed  to  make  a  survey  of  "  the 
ten-mile  square." 

The  principal  owners  of  this  tract  of  land  were 
Daniel  Carroll  of  Duddington,  Samuel  Davidson, 
Notley  Young,  and  David  Bumes.  Thomas  Beale, 
Robert  Peter,  James  Lingan,  Benjamin  Stoddert, 
and  others  also  held  land  within  the  limits  of 
the  new  city.  Mr.  Carroll  owned  a  tract  of  about 
two  thousand  acres,  a  portion  of  which  was 
chosen  as  the  site  of  the  Capitol.  Some  idea  of 
the  extent  of  this  holding  may  be  gathered  from 
46 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

the  fact  that  the  portion  marked  upon  the  old  map 
as  pasture-land  extended  from  the  navy-yard  to  the 
mall.  The  Carroll  property  failed  to  appreciate  in 
value,  as  the  city,  whose  eastern  course  L'Enfant 
had  outlined  and  Robert  Morris,  Samuel  Blodget, 
Thomas  Law,  and  others  speculated  upon,  went 
the  way  of  all  great  cities,  due  west,  after  that  be- 
guiling "  Star  of  Empire"  of  which  Bishop  Berke- 
ley was  wont  to  sing.  The  White  House  soon 
becoming  the  centre  of  the  city,  the  broad  acres 
of  David  Bumes,  near  by,  increased  in  value.  The 
canny  Scotchman  may  have  realized  that  his 
property  would  rise  in  value  more  rapidly  than  the 
eastem  lots,  and  for  this  reason,  or  because  of 
a  certain  native  tenacity  and  obstinacy,  he  gave 
President  Washington  more  trouble  than  any  of 
the  other  landholders,  and  frequent  visits  were 
made  by  the  President  to  the  little  cottage  of 
"  Davy"  Burnes,  which  stood  for  so  many  years  at 
the  foot  of  Seventeenth  Street.  By  the  end  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1791,  Bumes  and  all  other  proprietors  had 
come  to  terms,  and  on  September  18,  1793,  the 
President  took  part  as  a  Mason  in  the  ceremonies 
of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol.  Amid 
discharges  of  artillery,  addresses,  and  prayers  the 
corner-stone  was  laid,  a  plate  with  an  offering  of 
corn,  wine,  and  oil  was  placed  upon  it  by  the  Presi- 
dent, and  an  ox  of  generous  proportions  was  bar- 
becued and  partaken  of  by  the  company. 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

By  this  time  Major  L'Enfant  had  had  some  con- 
tentions with  the  commissioners,  and  antagonized 
Mr.  Carroll  of  Duddington  by  pulling  down  his 
house  on  New  Jersey  Avenue,  which  had  been 
begun  before  the  plans  for  the  city  were  completed. 
This  house  stood  in  the  centre  of  one  of  L'Enfant's 
radial  avenues,  and,  thinking  more  of  the  beauty 
of  the  perfected  city  than  of  Mr.  Carroll's  rights, 
he,  with  military  directness,  ordered  the  house  to 
be  demolished.  It  should  be  said,  however,  in 
justice  to  the  French  engineer,  that  in  writing  his 
report  he  advised  that  Mr.  Carroll  should  be  "  reim- 
bursed" for  his  outlay,  the  foundations  and  first  floor 
of  the  house  having  been  completed. 

The  difficulty  with  Mr.  Carroll  was  finally  ad- 
justed by  having  the  new  Duddington  built  upon 
an  adjacent  square  between  First  and  Second  and 
D  and  E  Streets.  This  house,  so  well  known 
as  the  centre  of  much  generous  hospitality  during 
the  early  years  of  the  federal  city,  was  the  home 
of  Mr.  Daniel  Carroll  and  his  descendants  until 
1886,  when  it  was  destroyed.  The  Providence 
Hospital  now  stands  near  the  site  of  Duddington 
Manor. 

In  consequence  of  his  difficulty  with  Mr.  Car- 
roll, and,  as  Mr.  William  Thornton  says,  of  certain 
differences  of  opinion  "  between  the  commissioners 
and  the  ingenuous  Major  L'Enfant,"  the  work  into 
which  he  had  entered  with  so  much  enthusiasm  was 
48 


/^.^     or  THE        f 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

withdrawn  from  his  hands  and  placed  in  those  of 
Mr.  EUicott,  who  had  acted  as  his  assistant. 

The  question  of  the  justice  or  injustice  of  Major 
L'Enfant's  dismissal  may  never  be  decided.  Whether 
the  fault  was  his  or  the  commissioners, — and  from 
some  expressions  in  letters  of  the  day  it  appears 
that  they  were  at  times  exasperating,  and  later  gave 
Mr.  EUicott  no  small  amount  of  trouble, — it  is 
impossible  at  this  distance  of  time  to  determine. 
It  seems,  however,  safe  to  believe  that  the  Presi- 
dent, who  had  had  much  experience  in  dealing 
with  men  of  all  classes  and  conditions,  and,  like  all 
great  leaders,  possessed  the  power  to  read  character 
and  put  "  the  right  man  in  the  right  place,"  acted 
with  his  usual  fairness  and  good  judgment  in  this 
instance.  He  summed  up  the  situation  in  his  own 
terse,  forcible  style  when  he  said,  "  Major  L'Enfant 
is  as  well  qualified  for  the  work  as  any  man  living, 
but  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  magnifies  his  self- 
esteem."  This  self-esteem,  combined  with  a  certain 
sensitiveness  to  criticism  and  dogged  obstinacy, 
probably  precipitated  L'Enfant's  quarrel  with  the 
commissioners.  That  Major  L'Enfant  cherished 
no  bitter  feeling  against  the  President  in  conse- 
quence of  his  removal  appears  fi-om  his  letters. 
His  punishment,  however,  seems  both  summary 
and  severe  in  view  of  the  work  that  he  had  already 
accomplished  for  the  government  in  the  construc- 
tion of  Fort  Mifflin  on  the  Delaware,  the  renovation 

4  49 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

of  the  old  City  Hall  in  New  York  for  the  use  of 
Congress,  and  of  still  more  importance,  as  Dr.  James 
Dudley  Morgan  points  out  in  his  admirable  bio- 
graphical sketch  of  Charles  Pierre  L'Enfant,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  own  service  in  the  Continental 
army  in  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  where  he  was  both 
wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 

Lonely,  disappointed,  and  poor,  for  L'Enfant 
had  indignantly  refused  the  money  offered  as  com- 
pensation for  his  labors,  he  was  forced  to  stand  aside 
and  see  the  work  that  he  had  planned  with  high 
hope  carried  on  by  one  of  his  former  assistants. 

The  fact  remains  that  the  beautiful  and  unique 
plan  upon  which  the  capital  was  laid  out — not,  as  has 
been  said,  "  for  thirteen  States  and  three  millions  of 
people,  but  for  a  republic  of  fifty  States  and  five 
hundred  millions ;  not  for  a  single  century,  but  for 
a  thousand  years" — is  chiefly  due  to  the  genius  of 
L'Enfant.  That  the  value  of  this  work  was  appre- 
ciated to  some  extent  in  his  own  lifetime  appears 
from  a  testimonial,  still  extant,  signed  by  James  M. 
Lingan,  Benjamin  Stoddert,  Uriah  Forrest,  Robert 
Porter,  the  Davidsons,  and  other  influential  citizens 
of  Washington. 

Major  L'Enfant  evidently  possessed  the  imagina- 
tive, creative  mind,  the  seer's  vision  that  could  be- 
hold a  city  rise  upon  this  broad  plain,  while  Andrew 
EUicott,  a  Quaker,  supplied  the  practical  mathe- 
matical ability  that  was  needed  to  carry  out  and 
50 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

improve  in  some  respects  the  design  of  the  brilliant, 
erratic,  headstrong  French  engineer.  Some  of 
L'Enfant's  dreams  for  beautifying  the  capital  were 
not  carried  out  at  the  time,  probably  for  good  and 
sufficient  reasons.  His  national  church,  now  much 
needed  for  memorial  services,  which  was  to  stand 
where  the  Patent  Office  was  built  later,  his  lofty 
columns  to  commemorate  the  deeds  of  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  republic,  and  his  beautiful  cascade 
from  the  muddy  waters  of  the  Tiber  have  never 
seen  the  light ;  but  the  park,  or  series  of  parks  and 
gardens,  intended  by  him  to  connect  the  White 
House  and  the  Capitol,  are  being  laid  out  to-day  on 
much  the  same  lines  as  those  planned  by  the  beauty- 
loving  Frenchman. 

The  charm  and  originality  of  the  plan  upon  which 
the  federal  city  was  laid  out  has  led  to  many  con- 
jectures with  regard  to  its  source.  Mr.  Glenn 
Brown,  who  has  given  much  time  and  thought  to 
this  subject  in  connection  with  later  schemes  for  the 
beautifying  of  the  capital,  inclines  to  the  belief  that 
the  radial  avenues  and  many  circles  that  add  so 
much  to  the  attractiveness  of  Washington  were 
suggested  to  Major  L'Enfant  by  an  unused  plan 
made  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren  for  the  rebuilding 
of  London  afiier  the  great  fire  of  1666. 

Major  L'Enfant  had  secured  through  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, then  Secretary  of  State,  the  plans  of  a  number  of 
European  cities,  "  but,"  says  Mr.  Brown,  "  a  review 
51 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

of  the  arrangement  of  these  cities  shows  few  sug- 
gestions of  which  he  actually  made  use.  The 
Champs-Elysees,  for  the  Mall,  was  the  only  proba- 
ble one,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  radiating 
streets  of  Paris  were  opened  by  the  first  and  third 
Napoleons  years  after  the  map  of  L'Enfant  was 
drawn.  ...  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  while  there  was 
no  city  with  radial  streets  in  Europe  at  that  period, 
one  existed  in  America  at  Annapohs.  That  town 
was  based  upon  Sir  Christopher  Wren's  plan  of 
London." 

General  Washington  and  Major  L'Enfant  had 
made  a  carefiil  study  of  the  site  of  the  new  city 
and  together  selected  the  locations  for  the  principal 
buildings.  The  French  engineer's  suggestion  that  the 
building  where  Congress  was  to  hold  its  sessions — 
"Congress  House,"  as  he  called  it — should  be  placed 
some  distance  from  the  other  government  buildings 
and  from  the  Executive  Mansion  appealed  so 
strongly  to  the  General's  common  sense  that  he 
remained  firm  upon  this  point,  despite  John  Adams's 
eamest  protest  against  such  an  arrangement.  In 
conformity  with  the  idea  of  separating  the  legisla- 
tive and  executive  offices,  the  site  chosen  for  the 
Capitol  was  the  broad  plateau  upon  which  it  now 
stands,  while  the  White  House  and  the  other  official 
buildings  were  placed  a  mile  or  more  west  of  it. 
The  wisdom  of  this  decision  of  Washington  has 
recommended  itself  to  all  subsequent  legislators, 
52 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

while  the  position  of  the  Capitol  is  thus  spoken  of 
by  the  English  critic,  Frederic  Harrison  : 

••  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  site  of  the  Capitol 
is  the  noblest  in  the  world,  if  we  exclude  that  of  the  Parthenon 
in  its  pristine  glory.  Neither  Rome,  nor  Constantinople,  nor 
Florence,  nor  Paris,  nor  Berlin,  nor  London  possesses  any  cen- 
tral eminence  with  broad  open  spaces  on  all  sides,  crowned  by  a 
vast  pile  covering  nearly  four  acres  and  rising  to  a  height  of 
nearly  three  hundred  feet,  which  seems  to  dominate  the  whole 
city.  Washington  is  the  only  capital  city  which  has  this  colossal 
centre  or  crown.  And  Londoners  can  imagine  the  effect  if 
their  St.  Paul's  stood  in  an  open  park  reaching  from  the  Temple 
to  Finsbury  Circus,  and  the  great  creation  of  Wren  were  daz- 
zling white  marble,  and  soared  into  an  atmosphere  of  sunny 
light." 

The  work  withdrawn  from  L'Enfant's  hands  in 
1 792  progressed  rapidly  in  those  of  Andrew  EUicott, 
who  had  made  the  first  topographical  survey  of  "  the 
ten-mile  square."  Major  L'Enfant's  plan  was,  in  its 
main  features,  carried  out,  certain  modifications  and 
changes  being  suggested  by  EUicott's  more  practical 
mind,  as  we  find  the  plan  of  1 792,  the  first  engraved 
map  of  the  city  of  Washington,  marked  "  L'En- 
fant's Plan  with  EUicott's  Additions." 

Andrew  EUicott,  despite  his  Quaker  ancestry,  had, 
like  Charles  Pierre  L'Enfant,  entered  the  army  as  a 
volunteer,  and  left  the  service  with  the  rank  of 
major.  His  mathematical  ability  was  evidently  in- 
herited from  his  father,  Joseph  EUicott,  a  mathema- 
53 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

tieian  and  astronomer  who,  like  his  contemporary 
David  Rittenhouse,  had  constructed  a  clock  that 
was  the  wonder  of  all  scientific  men  of  his  time. 
Although  the  younger  EUicott  has  been  spoken  of 
as  "  a  self-educated  Pennsylvania  Quaker,"  it  appears 
from  his  journal  upon  the  survey  of  the  Southern 
boundary  line  that  he  enjoyed  the  advantage  of 
having  Robert  Patterson,  vice-president  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society,  for  his  preceptor. 
A  man  of  acknowledged  scientific  ability,  he  was 
himself  a  member  of  the  Philosophical  Society 
and  the  associate  of  Dr.  Franklin,  Benjamin  Rush, 
David  Rittenhouse,  and  other  learned  men  of  his 
day.  While  making  a  visit  to  Philadelphia  in  1 784, 
Mr.  EUicott  wrote  to  his  wife,  "  Spent  the  forenoon 
and  dined  at  the  University  with  the  President  and 
Rev.  John  Ewing,  D.D.  In  the  evening  returned 
to  my  good  friend,  Mr.  Rittenhouse,  where  I  find 
real  satisfaction,  his  philosophy  and  agreeable 
manner,  his  lady's  good  sense  and  uncommon  good 
nature,  added  to  the  lively  conversation  and  wise 
observations  of  the  Daughters,  would  make  even  a 
monkey  fond  of  their  Society." 

After  spending  the  day  in  the  company  of  the 
venerable  Dr.  Franklin,  and  expressing  surprise  that 
he  ventured  to  shave  himself  at  his  advanced  age, 
Mr.  EUicott  left  this  "  Nestor  of  America,"  as  he 
called  him,  with  one  of  his  clever  aphorisms  tucked 
away  in  his  own  brain.  "  I  think,"  said  the  good 
54 


Andrew  Ellicott 
Miniature  by  James  Peak 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

old  doctor,  "  happiness  does  not  consist  so  much  in 
particular  pieces  of  good  fortune  that  perhaps  acci- 
dentally fall  to  a  man's  lot,  as  to  be  able  in  his  old 
age  to  do  these  little  things  which,  was  he  unable  to 
perform  himself,  would  be  done  by  others  with  a 
sparing  hand." 

In  a  letter  written  to  his  "dear  Sally"  from  a 
surveyor's  camp  in  Virginia,  Mr.  EUicott  says  that 
his  companion.  Major  L'Enfant,  will  pay  her  a  visit 
the  following  week,  adding,  "  he  is  a  most  worthy 
French  gentleman,  and  tho'  not  one  of  the  most 
handsome  men,  he  is  from  good  breeding  and  native 
politeness,  a  first  rate  favorite  among  the  ladies." 
From  this  and  other  expressions  in  Mr.  EUicott's 
letter  there  appear  to  have  been  no  rivalry  or  ill 
feeling  between  Major  L'Enfant  and  himself  at 
this  time,  even  if  men  and  women  have  later  dis- 
cussed with  some  asperity  the  respective  claims 
to  distinction  of  the  two  engineers  who  planned 
and  laid  out  the  capital.  One  faction  says  that  all 
the  honor  is  due  to  Major  L'Enfant,  another  feels 
that  a  lion's  share  of  the  credit  belongs  to  the 
Quaker  engineer  who  superseded  him.  The  truth 
probably  lies  between  these  two  extremes.  The 
qualifications  of  both  of  these  men  seemed  to  be 
needed  for  the  important  task  before  them.  What 
the  genius  of  L'Enfant  inspired  might  have  been 
lost  to  the  world  without  the  reasonable,  accurate, 
well-balanced  mind  ot  EUicott ;  one  supplemented 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  other,  and  the  efforts  of  both  engineers  conspired 
to  bring  about  a  result  upon  which  the  nation  may- 
well  congratulate  itself. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  any  feeling  of  rivalry  as 
to  posthumous  fame  exists  between  the  friends  and 
descendants  of  the  two  engineers  who  planned  and 
laid  out  the  city  of  Washington.  American  citi- 
zens, who  are  proud  of  their  beautiful  capital,  may 
well  esteem  the  man  who  planned  and  the  man 
who  builded,  both  perhaps  better  than  they  knew, 
and  it  seems  only  fair  that  Charles  Pierre  L'Enfant 
and  Andrew  EUicott  should  be  honored  by  memorial 
statues  in  the  capital  that  is  to  them  as  enduring  a 
monument  as  is  St.  Paul's  to  Sir  Christopher  Wren. 

Mr.  Ellicott  and  Major  L'Enfant  were  both  men 
of  distinct  ability  in  their  profession  and  both 
were  honored  by  the  friendship  and  appreciation  of 
Washington.  From  Mr.  EUicott's  family  letters  he 
appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  singularly  gentle 
and  confiding  nature,  while  Major  L'Enfant,  despite 
his  somewhat  difficult  disposition,  evidently  pos- 
sessed the  power  of  attracting  people  to  him  and 
of  returning  their  affection.  A  warm  friendship 
existed  between  him  and  Mr.  William  Dudley 
Digges,  which  the  latter  showed  by  offering  the 
hospitality  of  his  home  to  the  French  engineer. 
In  a  letter  written  to  him  from  Green  Hill  in  1824 
Mr.  Digges  says,  "  I  have  to  inform  you  that  it  will 
give  me  pleasure  if  you  would  come  up  and  take 
56 


A   PREDESTINED   CAPITAL 

your  residence  here.  I  have  furnished  George  with 
what  articles  you  may  stand  in  need  of  at  present ; 
you  will  also  be  able  to  visit  the  city  house  at  your 
ease  and  as  often  as  you  may  please  in  order  to 
attend  to  your  business  before  Congress.  .  .  .  You 
may  rest  assured,  Dear  Sir,  that  I  have  considered 
your  situation  and  know  that  it  has  been  an  un- 
pleasant one ;  if  a  hearty  welcome  to  Green  Hill 
will  make  it  more  pleasant,  I  can  assure  you,  you 
have  it  from  all  my  family." 

Major  L'Enfant  accepted  Mr.  Digges's  hospitality, 
so  freely  extended  to  him,  and  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days  at  Green  Hill.  Here  he  employed  his 
leisure  hours  in  laying  out  a  flower-garden  upon  the 
same  plan  as  the  city  of  Washington.  Amid  the 
ruins  of  this  deserted  garden  may  still  be  traced  the 
circles,  triangles,  and  radial  walks  in  which  L'Enfant 
sadly  renewed  the  dreams  of  his  youth,  and  here 
lie  his  remains  still  unhonored  by  the  nation  which 
he  served  in  war  and  in  peace. 


57 


Ill 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

MR.  THOMAS  TWINING,  when,  in  1796, 
he  rode  across  a  tract  of  level  country  re- 
sembling an  English  heath  and  through  a  thick 
wood  on  his  way  to  Mr.  Law's  house,  found  in  the 
rude  beginnings  of  a  road  some  signs  of  an  avenue, 
and  with  an  imagination  equal  to  his  amiability 
recorded  that  he  had  no  doubt  he  was  "riding 
along  one  of  the  streets  of  the  metropolitan  city." 
Faith  in  things  invisible  was  much  needed  in 
the  early  days  of  the  capital,  and  for  some  years 
to  come,  when  Pennsylvania  Avenue  was  little 
better  than  a  common  country  road.  "  On  either 
side  of  this  avenue,"  says  Mr.  Latrobe,  "  were  two 
rows  of  Lombardy  poplars,  between  which  was  a 
path  often  filled  with  stagnant  water  and  with 
crossing-places  at  intersecting  streets.  Outside  of 
the  poplars  was  a  narrow  footway,  on  which  car- 
riages often  intruded  to  deposit  their  occupants  at 
the  brick  pavements  on  which  the  few  houses 
scattered  along  the  avenue  abutted.  In  dry  weather 
the  avenue  was  all  dust,  in  wet  weather  all  mud  ; 
and  along  it  '  The  Royal  George,'  an  old-fashioned, 
long-bodied  four-horse  stage,  either  rattled  with 
members  of  Congress  from  Georgetown  in  a  halo 
58 


HOMES  AND   HOSTELRIES 

of  dust,  or  pitched  like  a  ship  in  a  seaway  among 
the  holes  and  ruts  of  this  national  highway.  The 
Capitol  itself  stood  on  the  brink  of  a  steep  de- 
clivity clothed  with  old  oaks  and  seamed  with 
numerous  gullies.  Between  it  and  the  Navy  Yard 
were  a  few  buildings,  scattered  here  and  there  over 
an  arid  common  and  following  the  amphitheatre 
of  hills  from  the  southeast  around  to  the  heights 
of  Georgetown, — houses  few  and  far  between  indi- 
cated the  beginning  of  the  present  city. 

"  The  Patent  and  Post-Offices,  in  one  huge,  un- 
omamental,  bam-like  brick  edifice,  occupied  the 
place  of  their  marble  successors,  and  at  the  other 
end  of  the  avenue  '  The  White  House'  had  become 
a  conspicuous  object,  with  the  adjacent  public 
offices.  Still  following  the  amphitheatre  around, 
the  eye  caught  a  glimpse  of  Alexandria  and  rested 
upon  the  broad  expanse  of  water  where  the  Eastem 
Branch  joined  the  Potomac,  with  Greenleaf 's  Point 
between  the  two." 

Although  the  machinery  of  the  government  and 
all  the  persons  pertaining  thereunto  removed  to  the 
new  city  of  Washington  in  the  autumn  of  1800,  it 
was  long  before  the  capital  was  regarded  as  an  im- 
portant social  centre.  The  wives  and  daughters  of 
cabinet  officials.  Senators,  and  Representatives  from 
Colonial  cities,  North  and  South,  looked  back  with 
longing  to  the  more  elegant  and  established  life  of 
their  own  homes,  some  of  them  even  speaking  of 

59 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

their  residence  in  the  federal  city  as  a  species  of 
banishment. 

In  view  of  the  scattered  government  buildings 
and  more  scattered  residences  separated  by  miles  of 
unimproved  land,  which  added  to  the  labors  of 
legislation  as  well  as  to  those  of  social  life,  it  is  not 
strange  that  the  Abbe  de  Serra,  who  visited  Wash- 
ington several  years  later  in  the  century,  should  have 
dubbed  it  "  a  city  of  magnificent  distances,"  or  that 
a  French  diplomat  should  have  exclaimed  with  the 
characteristic  effusion  of  his  nation,  "My  God! 
what  have  I  done  to  reside  in  such  a  city  V 

To  the  denizens  of  Paris,  and  other  capitals  of 
the  Old  World,  Washington  presented  many  dis- 
comforts and  incongruities.  The  wheels  of  the 
gilded  coach  of  the  magnificent  Spanish  minister 
rolled  over  or  stuck  in  depths  of  yellow  clay,  while 
another  diplomat  thus  graphically  described  the 
rigors  of  his  journey  to  a  house  still  standing  on 
Thomas's  Circle,  which  is  now  in  the  heart  of 
Washington  : 

"  I  went  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Hill,  who 
live  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  city.  My  carriage 
sank  up  to  the  axletree  in  the  snow  and  mud  ;  it  was 
necessary  to  leave  the  carriage,  which  had  to  be 
dragged  out  and  scraped  to  remove  the  mud  and 
slush  which  stuck  to  it  like  glue." 

Many  fanciful  tales  with  regard  to  the  removal 
of  the  government  have  been  repeated  until  they 
60 


HOMES  AND   HOSTELRIES 

have  gained  credence.  One  story  is  to  the  effect 
that  the  entire  treasure  of  the  United  States,  and 
all  papers  pertaining  to  the  Treasury  Department, 
were  brought  to  Washington  in  one  two-horse 
wagon,  may  readily  be  disproved  by  the  fact  that  all 
the  government  possessions,  including  books,  papers, 
and  moneys,  were  conveyed  in  vessels.  Christopher 
Hines,  in  giving  his  recollections  of  this  time,  says 
that  three  vessels  landed  and  discharged  their  car- 
goes at  Lear's  Wharf,  and  that  their  contents  were 
carted  away  to  the  War  and  Treasury  Offices,  the 
only  two  govemment  buildings  erected  at  that  time. 
Mr.  Hines  says  that  many  of  the  boxes  were  marked 
with  the  name  of  Joseph  Nourse,  who  was  then 
Register  of  the  Treasury,  and  that  as  wagons  were 
scarce  in  Washington,  one  cart  was  employed  to 
remove  the  contents  of  the  ships.  This  fact  may 
have  given  rise  to  the  one-wagon  story,  as  it  is  not 
stated  how  many  trips  the  single  cart  made  from 
the  wharf  to  the  government  offices.  Another 
statement  that  "  a  single  packet-ship"  brought  all  the 
government  furniture  and  archives  to  Washington 
is  disproved  by  Mr.  Hines's  recollections,  in  which 
he  speaks  of  several  vessels  being  used  in  the 
transfer.  It  also  appears  from  the  records  of  the 
Treasury  Department  that  the  expenses  of  the 
removal  amounted  to  forty  thousand  dollars,  which 
was  a  rather  large  sum  for  a  moving  that  could  be 
accommodated  in  one  wagon  or  one  ship. 

6i 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

John  Cotton  Smith,  member  of  Congress  from 
Connecticut,  wrote  that  the  Connecticut  officials 
lodged  with  a  Mr.  Peacock,  on  Jersey  Avenue,  in 
company  with  Senators  Chip  man  and  Paine,  of 
Vermont,  "  all  in  pairs,"  except  Speaker  Sedgwick, 
who  was  allowed  a  room  to  himself;  adding,  "to 
my  excellent  friend  Davenport  and  myself  was 
allowed  a  spacious  and  decently  furnished  apart- 
ment, with  separate  beds,  on  the  lower  floor." 

Mr.  Abraham  Bradley,  Assistant  Postmaster- 
General,  wrote  that  he  had  secured  a  large  three- 
story  house  for  his  own  residence  and  the  office  of 
Mr.  Habersham,  the  Postmaster-General,  within  a 
few  rods  of  Blodget's  Hotel.  This  inn,  named 
after  Mr.  Samuel  Blodget,  who  had  invested  largely 
in  Washington  lots,  was  situated  midway  between 
the  Capitol  and  the  White  House.  It  was  also 
spoken  of  as  the  Great  Hotel.  Dr.  Samuel  Busey, 
who  made  careful  researches  into  the  early  life  in 
Washington,  located  the  house  engaged  by  Mr. 
Bradley  for  the  Postmaster-General's  office  near  the 
corner  of  Ninth  and  E  Streets,  Northwest.  Blodget's 
Hotel  occupied  the  site  of  a  portion  of  the  Post- 
Office  Department.  A  house  on  Sixteenth  Street, 
near  what  is  now  Scott  Circle,  was  marked  as  that 
of  Samuel  Blodget  In  the  early  plans  of  Washing- 
ton ;  but  there  is  no  record  of  the  Blodget  family 
having  lived  in  the  new  city.  Mrs.  Blodget, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  William  Smith,  first  provost 
62 


HOMES  AND   HOSTELRIES 

of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  was  a  noted 
beauty,  which  reputation  her  portrait  by  Gilbert 
Stuart  fully  establishes.  An  independent,  original 
woman  Mrs.  Blodget  seems  to  have  been,  not  hesi- 
tating to  express  her  opinions  freely  about  people 
and  places,  and  very  much  amusing  a  recent  ac- 
quaintance by  announcing  that  her  children  "  all 
resembled  Mr.  Blodget,  having  small  eyes  and  a 
comical  look."  One  of  her  daughters  she  classified 
as  "  a  beauty,  but  a  vixen,"  while  another,  she  said, 
was  "  not  pretty,  but  a  sweet  creature." 

A  poetaster  of  the  time,  alluding  to  the  Vice- 
President's  opposition  to  a  Southern  site  for  the 
capital,  wrote : 

<♦  And  you,  Mr.  Gerry,  be  not  quite  so  merry 

About  Conogocheague,  about  Conogocheague  ; 
For  your  dull,  punning  jeers,  your  mobs  and  your  fears. 
We  care  not  a  fig,  we  care  not  a  fig. 

"  It  is,  sir,  at  Georgetown  that  you  shall  be  set  down. 
In  spite  of  your  canting,  in  spite  of  your  canting." 

It  is  quite  evident  that  Mr.  Gerry  was  not  "  set 
down  at  Georgetown,"  although  his  house  at  the 
comer  of  Nineteenth  Street  and  Pennsylvania  Ave- 
nue was  not  far  from  the  older  town.  How  much 
Mrs.  Gerry  was  with  her  husband  in  the  new  city 
does  not  appear.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler,  Senator 
from  Massachusetts,  who  was  chief  chronicler  of 
the  republican  court  in  these  early  days,  makes 
63 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

no  reference  to  the  Gerrys'  Washington  residence, 
although  he  enjoyed  visiting  them  in  Philadelphia, 
and  expatiated  on  the  good  fortune  of  Mr.  Gerry 
in  winning  so  beautiful  and  accomplished  a  wife. 
"  Few  old  bachelors,"  he  says,  "  have  been  more 
fortunate  in  matrimony  than  Mr.  Gerry.  I  should 
suppose  her  not  more  than  seventeen  and  believe 
he  must  have  turned  fifty." 

Mr.  Wolcott  wrote  to  his  wife  that  he  had  been 
obliged  to  take  lodgings  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  his  office  in  the  Treasury  Department,  and  so 
situated  he  finds  himself  better  off  than  many  of 
his  associates.  Writing  to  James  McHenry,  Sec- 
retary of  War,  under  date  of  July,  1800,  Mr. 
Wolcott  says  :  "  General  Marshall  has  been  gone  a 
fortnight,  but  will  soon  return.  The  law  character 
(meaning  Attomey-General  Lee)  has  gone  to  Nor- 
folk with  his  lady,  and  Mr.  Stoddert,  Mr.  Dexter, 
and  myself  govern  this  great  nation ;  but  how 
wisely  is  not  for  me  to  determine." 

Mr.  John  Cotton  Smith  said  that  the  only  really 
comfortable  houses  within  the  city  limits  were  those 
of  Daniel  Carroll,  Esq.,  and  Notley  Young.  These 
were  surrounded  by  gardens.  Sir  Augustus  Foster, 
secretary  of  the  British  minister,  spoke  of  "  three 
houses  of  consequence  in  Washington,  those  of 
Mr.  Brent,  Mr.  Taylor,  and  Mr.  Carroll."  The 
house  of  Mr.  Carroll,  which  Mr.  Cotton  Smith 
and  Sir  Augustus  Foster  mentioned,  was  evidently 
64 


^^^^    or  THE    ^y 
UNIVERSITY 


^lifob;^ 


HOMES  AND   HOSTELRIES 

Mr.  Daniel  Carroll's  mansion  Duddington,  about 
whose  location  he  had  some  contention  with  Major 
L'Enfant,  which  was  finally  built  between  D  and 
E  Streets.  Mr.  Carroll,  the  owner  of  the  prop- 
erty, always  known  as  Daniel  Carroll  of  Dud- 
dington, a  son  of  Charles  Carroll,  Jr.,  was  bom 
in  1764,  at  the  house  of  his  father  upon  the 
CarroUsburg  estate,  which  is  now  part  of  Wash- 
ington city. 

Another  old  country-house,  still  standing,  is 
Brentwood,  near  Q  Street,  Northeast,  and  Florida 
Avenue,  which  was  formerly  Boundary  Street.  The 
Brentwood  Road  ran  northeast  of  the  Capitol. 
This  property  belonged  to  the  Youngsborough 
estate,  and  came  into  the  Brent  family  through 
Mary  Young,  who  married  Robert  Brent,  first 
mayor  of  Washington.  Near  Brentwood  was 
Eckington,  which  belonged  to  Joseph  Gales,  Jr., 
who  assisted  Samuel  Harrison  Smith  in  editing  the 
National  Intelligencer,  2Lnd  afterwards  became  its  sole 
editor  and  proprietor.  The  Brent  house  of  which 
Sir  Augustus  spoke  was  probably  a  mansion  at  the 
comer  of  Twelfth  Street  and  Maryland  Avenue. 
Mayor  Robert  Brent  built  another  house  adjoining 
his  own  for  his  son,  Robert  Young  Brent,  at  the  time 
of  his  marriage.  The  "  Mr.  Taylor"  alluded  to  by 
Sir  Augustus  was  evidently  Colonel  John  Tayloe, 
who  owned  Mount  Airy,  one  of  the  finest  country- 
seats  in  Virginia,  and  in  1800  built  the  famous 
5  65 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Octagon,  which  still  stands  at  the  intersection  of 
New  York  Avenue  and  Eighteenth  Street. 

Mr.  Thomas  Peter  and  Mr.  Thomas  Law,  who 
had  married  granddaughters  of  Mrs.  Washington, 
lived  in  the  federal  city  in  the  last  century,  and  Gen- 
eral Washington  frequently  recorded  in  his  diary  that 
he  had  dined  with  Mr.  T.  Law  or  lodged  at  Mr.  T. 
Peter's.  Mr.  Peter's  house  is  said  to  have  been  one 
of  six  built  by  Mr.  Robert  Peter  for  his  six  sons 
on  a  tract  of  land  between  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Streets,  which  was  called  "  Mexico"  on  the 
original  plan  of  the  District. 

Mr.  Law's  estate  was  large,  as  he  was  one  of 
those  who  speculated  heavily  in  Washington  lots. 
His  own  spacious  residence  commanded  a  fine  view 
of  the  Potomac.  In  an  entry  in  his  diary  as  late  as 
November,  1 799,  General  Washington  recorded : 
"Viewed  my  building  in  the  Fed'l  City — Dined 
at  Mr.  Laws — and  lodged  at  Mr.  Thos.  Peter's." 

Mr.  Thomas  Law's  mansion,  which  Mr.  Twining 
described  as  "  only  a  few  yards  from  the  steep  bank 
of  the  Potomac,  and  commanding  a  fine  view 
across  the  river,  here  half  a  mile  wide,"  although 
located  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  N 
Streets,  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  country  resi- 
dence. Mr.  Twining  approached  the  house  through 
a  dense  growth  of  forest-trees,  and  no  other  dwell- 
ings were  in  sight  until  Robert  Morris  and  John 
Nicholson  began  to  build  a  row  of  small  houses 

66 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

on  what  was  later  known  as  Union  Street.  It  was 
probably  of  a  house  on  New  Jersey  Avenue  to 
which  the  Laws  removed,  afterwards  the  Vamum 
Hotel,  that  Mr.  Wolcott  referred  to  when  he  spoke 
of  the  Laws  as  living  in  great  splendor.  Here 
they  extended  hospitality  to  such  foreign  guests  as 
Louis  Philippe  and  his  two  brothers ;  to  Monsieur 
Volney,  the  free-thinking  and  free-speaking  French 
author  ;  the  Polish  Niemcewicz,  statesman  and  poet, 
who  visited  America  with  Kosciusko  in  1 796 ;  the 
practical  gentleman  farmer  Richard  Parkinson,  and 
many  distinguished  Americans. 

When  Mrs.  Law  arrived  in  her  chariot,  the  like 
of  which  had  not  been  seen  in  America,  Mr.  Albert 
Gallatin  felt  quite  rejoiced  that  "there  should  be 
some  female  in  our  circle  in  order  to  soften  our 
manners,"  Softness  of  manners  did  not  prove  to 
be  a  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  Law  house- 
hold, as  the  married  happiness  of  the  pair  whose 
dawn  General  Washington  considered  bright  and 
propitious  was  not  destined  to  last  until  noon. 
The  high-spirited  beauty  of  nineteen  probably  had 
little  patience  with  the  eccentric  Englishman  who 
was  nearly  twice  her  age  ;  which  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  in  view  of  the  nature  of  some  of  Mr. 
Law's  eccentricities.  Eliza,  the  only  child  of  this 
union  who  survived  infancy,  inherited  much  of  her 
mother's  beauty.  She  married  Mr.  Lloyd  N. 
Rogers,  of  Druid  Hill,  near  Baltimore. 
67 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Law  had  three  Indian  sons,  or  "Asiatic 
sons,"  as  it  pleased  some  Washingtonians  to  call 
them.  John  and  Edmund  Law  were  much  es- 
teemed and  beloved  in  Washington,  and  entered 
considerably  into  the  social  life  of  the  capital. 
Mrs.  William  Seaton  described  these  young  men 
as  unexceptional  as  regards  manners,  principles,  and 
acquirements,  and  wrote  of  dancing  cotillions  with 
John  Law,  who,  she  says,  "  ranks  high  in  William's 
estimation."  John  Law  married  Miss  Frances 
Ann  Carter,  and  Edmund  married  Mary  Robin- 
son. 

Mr.  Thomas  Law,  a  man  of  considerable  im- 
portance in  his  day,  is  remembered  now  as  an  odd, 
eccentric  figure  in  the  life  of  old  Washington. 
Mr.  Christopher  Lowndes  recalled  him  as  a  grave, 
sweet  old  man,  whom  he  and  his  father  met  at  an 
oyster-house,  who  read  a  poem  of  his  own  com- 
posing, which  served  as  a  dessert  after  their  oysters. 
Was  this  Mr.  Law's  poem  upon  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  had  preceded  him  to  the  land  of 
shades  and  left  him  to  mourn  their  loss  in  numbers  ? 
or  was  it  "  A  Family  Picture,"  whose  opening  verse 
so  aptly  epitomized  the  disappointments  of  his 
life*? 

**  Look  not  in  public  places  for  a  wife  ; 

Be  not  deluded  by  the  charms  of  sight. 
Retirement  only  gives  the  friend  for  life 

Who  shares  your  grief  and  doubles  your  delight." 
68 


HOMES  AND   HOSTELRIES 

Something  infinitely  pathetic  there  must  have 
been  about  the  fi-ail,  keen-eyed  old  man  who  had 
known  the  life  of  three  continents,  and  held  po- 
sitions of  trust  in  England  and  India,  who  with 
all  his  ability  and  wealth  had  failed  to  please  the 
woman  of  his  choice,  and  lived  to  mourn  his  lone- 
liness at  seventy-seven,  while  still  hoping  and  plan- 
ning for  the  future  greatness  of  the  city  in  which 
he  had  cast  his  lot  and  wrecked  a  large  share  of 
his  fortune. 

James  Greenleaf,  John  Nicholson,  and  Robert 
Morris,  who  formed  the  North  American  Land 
Company  and  owned  so  much  real  estate  in  Wash- 
ington, did  not  live  there  in  the  early  years  of  the 
century.  William  Cranch,  who  had  married  a 
favorite  sister  of  Mr.  Greenleaf,  was  sent  to  Wash- 
ington in  1795  to  represent  the  interests  of  the 
company,  at  a  salary  of  one  thousand  dollars  a  year, 
which  was  probably  considered  munificent  in  those 
days.  Mr.  Cranch,  afterwards  Judge  Cranch,  was  a 
nephew  of  Mrs.  John  Adams,  the  son  of  her  sister 
Mary,  and  the  "brother  Cranch"  of  whom  Mr. 
Adams  spoke  so  affectionately  in  his  letters.  When 
this  young  man  removed  to  Washington  with  his 
bride,  Mr.  Adams  gave  him  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Mr.  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  in  which  he 
speaks  of  William  Cranch  as  a  nephew  of  his  and 
very  much  like  one  of  his  own  sons. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cranch  lived  for  a  time  in  a  house 
69 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

on  N  Street,  Southwest,  which  they  leased  from 
Mr.  Greenleaf,  and  afterwards  in  Georgetov>^n  and 
Alexandria.  When  Mr,  Greenleaf  made  Washing- 
ton his  permanent  residence,  about  1831,  he  built 
himself  a  house  at  First  and  C  Streets,  near  the 
home  of  Judge  Cranch.  Here,  says  Mr.  Clark, 
"  Mr.  Greenleaf  daily  exchanged  greetings  and 
confidences  with  his  beloved  sister  Nancy  and  the 
dear  judge,  who  were  just  around  the  comer." 

Mrs.  Greenleaf  accompanied  her  husband  for  an 
occasional  visit,  and  Mr.  Clark  says  that  their 
daughters  were  belles  in  Washington  society  "  in 
the  reign  of  Adams  the  second ;"  but  the  aristo- 
cratic lady  never  made  the  new  city  a  permanent 
residence.  She  evidently  preferred  the  dignified 
seclusion  of  her  Allentown  home,  where  Mrs. 
Greenleaf 's  father  had  built  a  handsome  house,  sur- 
rounded by  an  extensive  park. 

Of  the  death  of  Mr.  Greenleaf  and  his  favorite 
sister  Mr.  Clark  tells  the  following  touching  story : 
"  Mrs.  Cranch  had  been  seriously  ill ;  Mr.  Green- 
leaf moderately  ill.  Perhaps  in  him  it  was  sympa- 
thy of  soul.  Who  can  say  ?  Mr.  Greenleaf  called 
his  youthful  assistant,  and  laying  gently  his  hand 
upon  his  shoulder,  said,  '  Bushrod,  go  to  the  judge's 
and  see  how  sister  is.'  The  lad  went  to  the  back 
door.  The  judge  himself  appeared,  and  answered, 
'  Tell  James  she  is  dead.'  The  messenger  returned. 
Mr.  Greenleaf  drew  closer  the  garments,  and  sank 
70 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

upon  the  couch.  The  shock  was  too  severe ;  the 
vital  current  ceased  to  surge." ''' 

As  Mr.  Greenleaf  was  buried  in  the  Congres- 
sional Cemetery,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  preju- 
dices with  regard  to  this  place  of  sepulture  were 
not  equal  to  those  of  John  Randolph.  In  speak- 
ing of  this  cemetery,  which  is  now  one  of  the  in- 
teresting landmarks  of  old  Washington,  Mr.  Ran- 
dolph said,  at  the  time  of  Senator  Gaillard's  death, 
"  Gaillard  was  our  oldest  Senator,  and  is  greatly  to 
be  pitied, — to  be  pitied,  not  because  he  died,  but 
because  he  died  in  this  place.  I  have  been  ill  here 
and  have  feared  death ;  feared  it  because  I  would 
not  die  in  Washington,  be  eulogized  by  men  I 
despise,  and  buried  in  the  Congressional  Burying- 

ground.     The  idea  of  lying  by  the  side  of 

.     Ah,  that  adds  a  new  horror  to  death." 

When  President  Adams  arrived  at  the  capital  he 
evidently  lodged  in  Georgetown,  as  his  letters  are 
dated  from  the  Union  Tavern.  This  was  in  June, 
1800,  when  the  President  went  to  Washington  for 
a  short  stay,  after  making  a  circuitous  journey  by 
way  of  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  and  Fredericktown, 
Maryland,  which  detour  afforded  many  opportunities 
for  entertainment  en  route. 

The  Georgetown  Centinel  of  Liberty  of  June  6 

*  "  Greenleaf  and  Law  in  the  Federal  City,"  by  Allen  C. 
Clark. 

71 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

quaintly  announced  the  coming  of  Mr.  Adams: 
"The  President  of  the  United  States  arrived  in 
this  place  on  Tuesday  last.  At  the  boundary-line 
of  the  District  of  Columbia  he  was  met  by  a  large 
crowd  of  respectable  citizens  on  horseback  and  es- 
corted into  town,  where  he  was  received  with  pleas- 
ure and  veneration.  The  military  of  the  city  of 
Washington  and  the  marines  stationed  there  mani- 
fested their  respect  by  sixteen  discharges  of  mus- 
ketry and  artillery." 

The  following  November,  when  Congress  met  in 
the  federal  city  for  the  first  time,  the  White 
House  was  still  in  an  unfinished  condition,  and  ac- 
commodations for  Congressmen  were  quite  insuffi- 
cient. The  Indian  Queen  had  not  yet  hung  out 
its  sign  of  the  Princess  Pocahontas,  nor  had  the 
sun  of  the  famous  Gadsby's,  dear  to  the  Congres- 
sional soul,  yet  arisen.  The  cost  of  living  in  the 
federal  city  in  these  early  days  was  not  great. 
The  rate  at  the  Indian  Queen,  kept  by  one  Jesse 
Brown,  was  one  dollar  and  a  half  per  day,  brandy 
and  whiskey  being  fi-ee, — all  too  free,  it  sometimes 
appeared,  especially  on  holidays,  when  the  landlord 
dispensed  liberal  potations  of  egg-nog  from  a  huge 
punch-bowl  that  had  been  used  at  Mount  Vernon. 
A  few  boarding-houses  there  were  at  this  time ;  but 
the  large  army  of  impecunious  ladies  who  made 
Washington  a  city  of  boarding-houses  rather  than 
a  city  of  homes  had  not  yet  arrived.  A  little 
72 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

later  we  read  of  Mrs.  Matchin's  on  Capitol  Hill, 
where  Mr.  Varnum,  from  Massachusetts,  Speaker 
of  the  House,  resided,  and  of  Mrs.  Wilson's,  also 
on  Capitol  Hill,  where  Mr.  Clinton  lived  during 
his  term  as  Vice-President,  in  company  with  five 
Senators  and  fifteen  Representatives,  composing  what 
was  famiUarly  spoken  of  as  "The  Washington 
Mess." 

Those  officials  who  could  not  find  lodgings  at 
the  "  swinging  sign  of  the  Black  Horse,"  kept  by 
Mr.  Betz  on  F  Street  near  Fourteenth,  at  Tunne- 
cliffe's  on  Capitol  Hill,  or  in  one  of  the  houses  of 
the  two  blocks  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue  between 
Nineteenth  and  Twenty-Second  Streets,  long  known 
as  the  "  Six  and  Seven  Buildings,"  were  obliged  to 
establish  themselves  in  Georgetown.  This  old  town, 
despite  its  separation  from  the  Capitol  by  three 
miles  of  bad  road,  which  necessitated  a  daily  ride 
in  the  "  Royal  George"  through  the  mud  of  winter 
and  the  dust  of  summer,  proved  to  many  sojourners 
a  pleasant  and  congenial  place  of  residence  and  was 
long  looked  upon  as  the  court  end  of  Washington. 

If,  as  a  witty  French  visitor  remarked,  "  Wash- 
ington was  a  city  without  houses  and  Georgetown 
a  city  without  streets,"  houses  were  more  important 
than  streets  for  the  needs  of  daily  hfe,  and  for 
some  years  the  old  borough,  with  its  substantial 
houses  and  more  comfortable  hostelries,  proved  a 
formidable  rival  to  the  federal  city.     Indeed,  it  is 

73 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

currently  reported  that  there  are  persons  now  Hving 
in  Georgetown  who  still  regard  Washington  as  a 
suburb  of  the  older  town. 

Mr.  Twining,  when  he  visited  Georgetown  in 
1796,  offered  up  thanks  for  a  feather  bed  and  a 
bountiful  supper  at  the  Fountain  Inn  after  his 
long  stage-journey  from  Philadelphia.  Here  also 
were  Suter's  Inn,  and  a  tavern  kept  by  Joseph 
Semmes,  at  both  of  which  places  General  Washing- 
ton frequently  stopped.  At  the  Union  Tavern,  a 
fashionable  inn,  he  often  recorded  that  he  met  the 
Potomac  Company  and  afterwards  dined.  At  this 
old-time  hostelry  were  entertained  such  guests  from 
abroad  as  Louis  Philippe,  Talleyrand,  the  eccentric 
French  traveller  Volney,  Lafayette,  Jerome  Bona- 
parte, and  Baron  Von  Humboldt.  Of  this  learned 
German  nobleman  Mrs.  Madison  wrote  in  1804, 
"  He  is  the  most  polite,  modest,  well-informed,  and 
interesting  traveller  we  have  ever  met,  and  is  much 
pleased  with  America.  I  hope  one  day  you  will 
become  acquainted  with  our  Baron  Humboldt.  .  .  . 
He  had  with  him  a  train  of  philosophers  who 
though  clever  and  entertaining  did  not  compare  to 
the  Baron." 

Into  the  life  of  the  new  capital,  with  its  crudi- 
ties, its  inconveniences,  and  its  strangely  assorted 
social  elements,  there  entered  as  central  figures  a 
man  and  woman  no  longer  young,  who  had  seen 
much    of  official    life  at    home   and    abroad.     A 

74 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

thoroughly  domestic  pair  were  the  Adamses,  who 
would  have  enjoyed  their  fireside  at  Braintree,  Mas- 
sachusetts, far  more  than  the  excitements  and  ex- 
actions of  the  capital,  had  it  not  been  for  the  fires 
of  an  overmastering  ambition  that  bumed  in  their 
breasts,  which  even  the  disappointment  of  the  last 
closely-contested  Presidential  election  had  failed  to 
extinguish.  Abigail  Adams's  buoyant  spirits,  which 
had  heretofore  enabled  her  to  meet  with  cheerfulness 
the  various  trials  and  discomforts  of  her  life,  seem 
to  have  almost  deserted  her  upon  her  arrival  in 
Washington.  The  straggling  houses  of  the  un- 
finished city  and  its  miles  of  muddy  roads  evidently 
weighed  heavily  upon  her  spirits.  The  White 
House,  with  its  bare,  uninhabitable  rooms  and  its 
"  principal  stairs  not  up,"  added  the  final  touch  to 
the  serio-comic  appearance  of  a  city  planned  upon 
generous  lines,  with  its  Capitol  standing  like  the 
sun,  from  which  radiated  majestic  beams  of  streets 
and  avenues  of  enormous  breadth,  all  halting  and 
limping  in  the  execution.  The  Executive  Mansion, 
modelled  after  the  design  of  an  Irish  nobleman's 
palace,  failed  to  afford  the  ordinary  comforts  of 
living  to  the  modest  family  of  the  President.  Mrs. 
Adams  might  well  have  exclaimed,  with  Gouverneur 
Morris,  that  this  city  offered  great  advantages  "  as  a 
future  residence." 

It  has  often  been  said,  and  with  an  undertone  of 
disapproval,  that  Mrs.  John  Adams  used  the  East 

75 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Room  for  drying  clothes.  A  wiser  use  was  this, 
surely,  although  the  clothes  must  have  dried  but 
slowly  in  the  moist  atmosphere,  than  to  have  given 
the  President  and  his  Cabinet  officers  rheumatism 
by  requiring  them  to  sit  in  the  penetrating  damp- 
ness of  the  East  Room  to  transact  business  of  state, 
as  some  thrifty  housewives  of  that  time  would  have 
done. 

The  ladies  of  Georgetown  and  Alexandria,  being 
of  a  social  nature,  promptly  called  upon  the  Presi- 
dent's lady,  and  were  received  in  a  hastily-improvised 
parlor  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  drying  clothes. 
It  soon  appeared  that  these  visiting  dames  required 
some  gayety  in  the  White  House.  Mrs.  Adams 
yielded  with  a  good  grace,  although,  as  appears  from 
her  letters  to  her  daughter,  she  was  in  anything  but 
a  festive  mood.  The  first  drawing-room  was  held 
on  New  Year's  Day,  1801,  Mrs.  Adams  receiving 
her  guests  in  the  oval  room  on  the  second  floor, 
which  was  afterwards  used  as  a  library. 

If,  upon  her  arrival  at  Bush  Hill,  Philadelphia, 
Mrs.  Adams  had  exclaimed,  in  disappointment  at 
the  inconveniences  of  her  suburban  residence,  "  This, 
alas !  is  not  Richmond  Hill,"  she  must  have  more 
than  once  confided  to  the  sympathetic  ears  of  Mrs. 
Albert  Gallatin  and  such  of  the  Congressional  ladies 
as  had  been  sufficiently  courageous  to  accompany 
their  husbands  to  Washington,  "  This,  alas  !  is  not 
Philadelphia." 

76 


HOMES   AND   HOSTELRIES 

With  all  the  inconveniences  incident  to  life  in 
the  new  capital,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  Adams 
administration  was  unmarked  by  much  gayety  in 
social  life.  Mrs.  Benjamin  Stoddert  wrote  to  her 
niece  of  dining  at  the  President's  and  of  having  a 
dozen  or  fourteen  to  dine  with  her.  Although 
Mrs.  Stoddert  seems  to  have  entertained  numerous 
guests  herself,  which  necessitated  constant  recourse 
to  the  pages  of  "  Mrs.  Glasse,"  she  says  that  there 
was  not  half  the  gayety  she  expected  too  see 
follow  the  advent  of  Congress. 

Mr.  Adams's  four  years  of  official  life  ended  in 
March,  1 80 1 ,  and  the  elderly  couple,  who  had  spent 
only  a  few  months  in  the  White  House,  retumed  to 
their  Lares  and  Penates  at  Braintree,  Massachusetts, 
reflecting,  and  with  some  justice  perhaps,  upon  the 
ingratitude  of  republics. 


77 


IV 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 

AN  interesting  and  varied  life  was  that  of  Wash- 
xV  ington  and  the  older  towns  surrounding  it  in 
the  early  years  of  the  last  century.  Upon  the  heavy 
dirt  road  that  stretched  between  the  White  House 
and  the  Capitol  was  often  to  be  seen  the  spare, 
shght  figure  of  the  Democratic  President,  well 
mounted,  not  very  well  dressed,  frequently  un- 
attended, and  not  seldom  bespattered  with  mud, 
while  nearby  the  elegant  gilded  coach  of  the  French 
or  Spanish  minister  made  its  way  with  difficulty 
through  the  tenacious  clay. 

Familiar  figures  upon  the  streets  of  Washington 
in  those  days  were  Judge  Story,  his  friend  the 
great  Chief  Justice  John  Marshall,  and  John  Ran- 
dolph of  Roanoke,  the  latter  a  picturesque  person- 
age, as  described  by  more  than  one  visitor  to  the 
capital,  in  blue  riding-coat,  buckskin  breeches, 
and  top-boots,  on  his  way  to  the  Senate,  attended 
by  his  black  servant,  both  master  and  man  well 
mounted. 

The  coach  of  the  charming  woman  who  was 
the  first  lady  in  the  land  through  two  long  ad- 
ministrations was  often  to  be  seen  on  the  George- 
town or  Bladensburg  roads,  for  Mrs.  Madison  greatly 
78 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


enjoyed  a  dish  of  tea  and  a  gossip  with  Mrs.  Forrest 
in  Cherry  Alley,  Georgetown,  or  with  one  of  her 
Bladensburg  friends. 

Even  if  Washington  was  a  city  existing  chiefly 
upon  paper  when  the  government  was  removed 
thither  in  1800,  it  was  fortunate  in  being  near 
several  old  towns.  Georgetown,  Alexandria,  and 
Bladensburg  were  places  of  considerable  influence 
in  the  trade  of  the  Colonies,  and  all  boasted  a 
social  life  of  more  or  less  distinction,  according  to 
the  value  placed  upon  education,  refinement,  and 
the  graces  of  life.  The  established  residents  of 
these  boroughs  and  those  of  the  neighboring 
counties  furnished  a  stable  and  respectable  back- 
ground for  the  floating  society  which  the  govern- 
ment brought  to  Washington.  Presidents  might 
come  and  go,  but  the  old  families  remained,  living 
in  their  stately  homes  as  their  fathers  had  lived, 
extending  a  generous  hospitality  to  strangers,  and 
mingling  more  or  less  with  the  official  life  of  the 
capital,  in  proportion  to  their  approval  or  dis- 
approval of  the  manner  in  which  social  affairs 
were  conducted  in  the  White  House. 

Sir  Augustus  Foster,  who  entered  freely  into  the 
social  life  of  Georgetown  and  of  the  counties  sur- 
rounding the  capital,  found  much  to  admire  in  the 
style  of  living  and  the  possessions  of  these  landed 
proprietors.  "  In  the  district  nearest  Washington 
alone,  of  which  Montgomery  County  forms  part,  I 
79 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

was  assured,"  he  wrote,  "  there  were  five  hundred 
persons  possessing  estates  which  returned  to  them 
an  income  of  £  i  ooo."  Among  these  magnates  were 
Mr.  Ringgold,  Mr.  Charles  Carroll,  Colonel  John 
Tayloe,  and  Governor  Lloyd.  Of  this  latter  gentle- 
man, he  adds,  with  amusing  minuteness  of  detail, 
that  he  "  possessed  a  net  revenue  of  between  ;^6ooo 
and  £jooo,  with  which  he  had  only  to  buy  clothes 
for  himself  and  family,  wines,  equipages,  furniture, 
and  other  luxuries." 

As  we  wander  through  the  streets  of  George- 
town to-day,  which  with  their  many  charming 
doorways  and  high-terraced  gardens  give  us  the 
impression  of  a  life  that  has  been  lived  and  a  his- 
tory that  is  finished,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that 
this  sleepy  old  town  was  once  an  important  com- 
mercial centre. 

The  original  tract  of  land  upon  which  George- 
town is  situated  was  owned  by  two  Georges, 
George  Beall  and  George  Gordon.  Whether  the 
town,  which  was  laid  out  in  1751,  was  named 
after  these  two  gentlemen,  or  after  his  British 
majesty,  does  not  appear.  The  early  date  of  the 
founding  of  the  borough  proves  conclusively  that  it 
could  not  have  been  named  in  honor  of  the  much 
greater  George,  whose  sumame  was  given  to  the 
capital. 

In  consequence  of  its  commercial  prosperity  a 
number  of  substantial  and  spacious  houses  were 
80 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


built  in  Georgetown  before  the  Revolution.  Some 
of  these  fine  old  mansions  are  still  standing  on 
Prospect  Street  and  on  Georgetown  Heights. 
Among  them  is  the  Mackall  house,  which  stands 
on  an  eminence  overlooking  the  city  of  Washing- 
ton. It  was  built  by  Benjamin  Mackall  upon 
Beall  property,  which  was  part  of  the  marriage 
portion  of  his  bride,  Christiana  Beall.  Another 
Benjamin  Mackall  lived  in  a  house  on  Prospect 
Street  which  was  given  to  his  wife  by  her  father, 
William  Whann,  of  White  Hall,  Maryland.  Mr. 
Martineau,  minister  from  the  Netherlands,  afterwards 
occupied  the  Mackall  house,  on  Prospect  Street. 

Although  several  beautifiil  mansions  were  built 
on  the  Heights,  Miss  Mackall  says  that  in  early 
days  the  fashionable  part  of  Georgetown  was  below 
Bridge  Street.  "  Cherry  Alley,"  she  says,  "  with 
its  narrow,  winding  streets,  was  the  court  end  of 
the  town.  The  quaint  two-story  houses  were 
built  of  brick  brought  from  England,  and  had 
sloping  roofs  and  queer-shaped  gables,  with  rows 
of  dormer  windows,  where  the  housekeeper  de- 
lighted in  sunning  her  preserves  and  pickles,  of 
which  the  boys  in  the  neighborhood,  uninvited, 
would  enjoy  a  sample  every  now  and  then. 
Many  a  taste  did  Francis  Scott  Key  have  of  these 
same  preserves."  In  Cherry  Alley  lived  the 
Whanns,  Peters,  Keys,  Masons,  Smiths,  Foxalls, 
Bronaughs,  Balchs,  Bealls,  and  Forrests. 

6  8i 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Dr.  Cutler  wrote  to  his  wife,  in  1803,  of  a  din- 
ner at  the  Balch's,  in  the  company  of  many  mem- 
bers of  Congress.  Miss  Anna  King  was  one  of 
the  guests,  which  revived  dehghtful  recollections 
of  the  previous  winter  spent  in  her  father's  house 
in  Washington,  where  the  company  was  very 
agreeable.  "  I  very  much  miss,"  he  says,  "  the 
amusement  Miss  Anna  King  used  to  afford  us, 
with  her  forte-piano  and  excellent  voice.  She 
is  the  most  intimate  friend  and  companion  of 
Miss  Harriet  Balch.  They  attend  together  the 
boarding-school,  dancing-school,  and  assembly." 

Other  visitors  besides  Dr.  Cutler  recorded  pleasant 
memories  of  hospitable  Georgetown  homes,  such 
as  the  country-seat  of  the  Linthicums,  which  was 
up  near  the  reservoir ;  the  house  of  Brooke  Wil- 
liams, still  standing  on  U  street ;  and  Tudor  Place. 
This  charming  house,  which  architecturally  com- 
bines the  best  characteristics  of  the  earlier  and 
later  Georgian  schools,  was  built  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Peter  in  1814,  and  stands  to-day  seemingly  un- 
touched by  the  hand  of  time.  Beautiful  without 
and  within,  crowning  the  heights  with  its  substan- 
tial but  graceful  architecture  and  surrounded  by  its 
old-fashioned,  box-bordered  gardens,  the  spacious 
halls  and  stately  rooms  of  Tudor  Place  are  replete 
with  associations  and  relics  of  the  past.  Here  are 
unfolded  pages  of  the  history  of  the  eighteenth  and 
of  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  that 
82 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


may  be  read  nowhere  else.  This  house,  which  is 
the  home  of  Mr.  Thomas  Peter's  daughter,  Mrs. 
Beverly  Kennon,  the  great-granddaughter  of  Martha 
Washington,  is  the  repository  of  many  cherished 
possessions  linked  with  the  daily  life  of  the  Wash- 
ingtons  in  New  York,  in  Philadelphia,  and  at  Mount 
Vernon. 

West  of  Tudor  Place  is  Sydney,  the  home  of 
Mr.  S.  Harrison  Smith,  founder,  first  editor,  and 
proprietor  of  the  National  Intelligencer.  This  house, 
which  was  the  gathering-place  for  distinguished 
men  from  near  and  far  and  the  scene  of  many 
animated  political  and  legislative  discussions,  is  still 
standing  within  the  grounds  of  the  Catholic  Uni- 
versity. Georgetown  was  an  early  stronghold  of 
Catholicism  in  America,  and  the  college  founded 
there  by  Bishop  John  Carroll  in  1789  was  the  first 
Roman  Catholic  educational  institution  of  any  size 
established  in  the  United  States.  John  Carroll  was 
a  son  of  Daniel  Carroll,  of  Upper  Marlboro,  and  a 
cousin  of  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton.  Like  other 
members  of  his  family,  Dr.  Carroll  was  an  ardent 
patriot  as  well  as  a  devoted  member  of  the  Jesuit 
order,  with  which  religious  body  he  identified  him- 
self in  early  youth.  Having  enjoyed  the  advan- 
tages of  an  education  in  Continental  schools  and 
having  held  chairs  at  St.  Omer's  and  Liege,  John 
Carroll  returned  to  America  to  found  the  University 
at  Georgetown  and  the  Cathedral  at  Baltimore,  both 
83 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

of  which  are  monuments  to  his  zeal  and  devotion. 
Upon  Bishop  Carroll's  representations  Pius  VII. 
erected  Baltimore  into  an  archiepiscopal  see  in 
1808,  of  which  he  was  appointed  the  first  arch- 
bishop. 

Archbishop  Carroll  was  aided  in  many  of  his 
religious  and  philanthropic  undertakings  by  Domi- 
nick  Lynch,  who  was  authorized  to  receive  the 
New  York  subscriptions  for  the  projected  "Academy 
at  Georgetown."  This  gentleman,  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  the  doughty  mayors  of  Galway,  after  many 
successful  commercial  ventures  in  Galway  and  at 
Bruges,  in  Flanders,  entered  into  partnership  with 
Thomas  Stoughton  and  emigrated  to  New  York 
with  his  wife  and  family.  Mr.  Lynch,  who  brought 
to  the  land  of  his  adoption  the  zeal  and  patriotism  of 
his  race,  entered  with  enthusiasm  into  the  political, 
religious,  and  social  life  of  the  new  republic.  He 
does  not  seem  to  have  lived  in  either  Georgetown 
or  Washington,  although  a  house  and  some  lots 
owned  by  him  appear  upon  the  old  plan  of  the 
capital.  When  in  1790  it  was  deemed  expedient 
that  the  Roman  Catholics  of  America  should  address 
to  General  Washington  a  letter  of  congratulation 
upon  the  occasion  of  his  unanimous  election  as  first 
President  of  the  United  States,  through  the  five 
most  distinguished  Catholic  citizens  of  the  country, 
Dominick  Lynch  was  one  of  those  selected  to  sign 
this  document,  the  other  signers  being  Archbishop 
84 


op  John  Carroll 
Gilbert  Stuart 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


Carroll,  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  Daniel  Car- 
roll and  Thomas  Fitzsimons  of  Philadelphia. 

The  buildings  of  the  Convent  of  the  Visitation 
and  the  Young  Ladies'  Academy,  where  so  many  of 
the  belles  and  beauties  of  Georgetown,  Baltimore, 
and  Annapolis  were  educated,  adjoin  the  college 
grounds.  This  convent,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
United  States,  was  founded  by  some  French  nuns 
of  the  order  of  the  Poor  Clares.  The  buildings 
were  erected  upon  part  of  the  property  of  Mr. 
John  Threlkeld.  The  home  of  John  Cox,  some- 
time mayor  of  Georgetown,  was  built  upon  a  part 
of  this  estate,  which  was  given  to  his  wife,  Jane 
Threlkeld,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage. 

Georgetown  College  owes  much  of  its  pictu- 
resque beauty  to  the  steep  bluff  above  the  Potomac 
on  which  it  is  situated,  for  it  gives  to  its  river-side 
exposure  a  garden  terrace  where  one  may  readily 
fancy  Italian  monks  of  the  sixteenth  century  sun- 
ning themselves  in  ecclesiastical  leisure  and  content 
among  the  vines  and  blossoms  of  this  bit  of  Italy 
in  the  New  World.  Upon  a  part  of  this  same  high 
bluff  the  Honorable  Benjamin  Stoddert  built  a  house 
which  is  still  standing,  a  typical  Georgetown  resi- 
dence of  the  old  time,  with  its  high  terraces  in  front 
and  large  garden  at  the  back  overlooking  the 
Potomac.  Family  tradition  relates  that  a  lover  of 
one  of  the  beautiful  daughters  of  this  house  threat- 
ened, when  his  addresses  were  rejected,  to  throw 
85 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

himself  into  the  river,  whereupon  the  damsel,  in- 
nocent as  she  was  obdurate,  ran  into  the  garden  to 
see  whether  her  despairing  Romeo  would  carry  out 
his  threat. 

Imagination  as  well  as  sentiment  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  love-making  of  that  earlier  time. 
Do  lovers  ever  threaten  self-destruction  in  these 
more  prosaic  days  *?  and  if  they  should  venture  upon 
such  flights  of  fancy,  would  Juliet  take  the  matter 
au  serieux  and  follow  Romeo  into  the  garden  to 
witness  the  fatal  leap  ? 

We  have  it  upon  the  authority  of  Sir  Augustus 
Foster  that  Georgetown  was  a  famous  "  marriage 
market,"  the  balls  being  attended  by  the  families  of 
members  and  others  who  came  for  the  season. 
Despite  the  excess  of  small  talk,  the  "  small  amount 
of  literature  and  improving  conversation."  the  pre- 
dilection of  the  fair  ones  for  the  uncertainties  of 
"  loo"  and  the  beguilements  of  rouge  and  powder, 
Sir  Augustus  frankly  avows  that  he  has  "  never  seen 
prettier,  more  lively,  or  better  tempered  girls  any- 
where— mostly  from  Virginia  and  Maryland.  .  .  . 
Much  dancing,"  he  adds,  "  much  singing  of  popular 
and  sentimental  ditties.  The  favorite  song,  '  Just 
Like  Love  in  Yonder  Rose.'  No  matter  how  this 
was  sung,  the  words  alone  were  the  men  traps." 
One  may  read  between  the  lines  that  the  secretary  to 
the  British  Legation  was  young  and  unmarried,  and 
had  probably  been  warned  by  prudent  parents  in 
86 


Mrs.  Edward  Lloyd         Mrs.  John  Mason 
By  Bouchet 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


words  of  like  intent  to  those  used  by  the  pater 
patrU^  to  "  beware  of  entanghng  foreign  alliances." 
Among  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Stoddert's 
neighbors  in  Georgetown  were  Dr.  Charles  and 
Nicholas  Worthington,  who  lived  near  the  Aque- 
duct Bridge,  and  General  and  Mrs.  Mason,  who, 
in  addition  to  their  Georgetown  residence,  had  a 
home  on  Analostan  Island,  in  the  Potomac,  which 
is  described  as  a  veritable  elysium,  rich  in  native 
and  cultivated  plants,  flowers,  and  fruits.  Mrs. 
Stoddert,  in  writing  of  Mrs.  Mason  in  1796,  said, 
"  She  is  a  charming  woman — not  so  much  in  her 
face,  as  in  her  whole  deportment — her  face  tho' 
quite  pretty  enough  for  she  has  charming  eyes  and 
fine  teeth — and  plays  delightfully  and  sings  really 
sweetly — her  face  as  I  before  began  to  say  is  not 
as  pretty  as  I  expected,  but  she  has  sufficient  reason 
to  be  satisfied  with  it.  I  know  I  should  if  I  had 
such  a  one — her  sister  I  imagine  is  more  a  beauty 
to  please  the  Ladies  than  Mrs.  Mason  is,  for  Miss 
Murray  looks  all  amiability,  very  pretty  too."  The 
Miss  Murray  whom  Mrs.  Stoddert  found  so 
charming  was  probably  Sally  Scott  Murray,  who 
soon  after  married  Governor  Edward  Lloyd,  of 
Wye  House,  Maryland,  and  thus  became  the 
sister-in-law  of  Francis  Scott  Key,  whose  wife  was 
Mary  Tayloe  Lloyd.  Another  of  the  Murray 
sisters,  Catherine,  married  the  Honorable  Richard 
Rush,  of  Philadelphia. 

87 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Stoddert  and  the  Bealls  owned  a  large  tract 
of  land  north  of  Georgetown,  called  Pretty  Pros- 
pect. General  Uriah  Forrest's  home,  Rosedale, 
was  included  in  this  tract  and  Major  Stoddert  and 
General  Forrest  are  among  the  signers  of  the 
original  agreement  made  between  the  land-owners 
and  President  Washington  in  March,  1791. 

Rosedale,  a  tract  of  one  thousand  acres,  be- 
longed to  General  Forrest,  and  the  house  with  its 
"  thicket  of  roses  three  feet  deep"  was  the  home  to 
which  he  brought  his  bride,  a  beautiflil  daughter  of 
Governor  Plater. 

A  portion  of  the  Rosedale  tract  was  bought  from 
General  Forrest  by  Philip  Barton  Key,  and  called 
Woodley,  while  another  brother-in-law,  William 
Plater,  purchased  from  him  the  Greenwood  estate, 
which  was  afterwards  owned  by  Dr.  Snyder. 

General  Forrest,  the  owner  of  Rosedale,  was  a 
friend  of  Washington.  The  house  in  which  the 
President  dined  with  General  Forrest  and  the  Com- 
missioners is  still  standing  upon  the  Tennleytown 
Road.  It  is  occupied  by  the  descendants  of  General 
Forrest,  who  take  pleasure  in  showing  the  broad 
piazza  where  the  President  and  the  Commissioners 
sat  discussing  preliminaries,  while  in  imagination 
they  beheld  the  well  wooded  and  watered  plain 
before  them  transformed  into  the  beautiful  city 
of  their  dreams. 

A   short   distance   from   Rosedale   is   the   pict- 


UNIVERSITY 


^i 


IFOH^ 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


uresque  Highlands,  built  by  Charles  J.  Nourse, 
from  stone  quarried  in  the  neighborhood.  No 
house  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington  is  more  re- 
plete with  associations  of  the  past  than  The 
Highlands,  where  the  Madisons,  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son, Timothy  Pickering,  and  other  distinguished 
people  of  the  day  were  wont  to  congregate.  The 
Rev.  Manassah  Cutler  describes  more  than  one 
dinner  with  "  Mr.  Nourse  at  his  country-seat, 
back  of  Georgetown  in  company  with  Mr. 
Van  Ness  and  lady,  Mr.  Lawrie  and  lady,  Mr.  J. 
Q.  Adams  and  lady,"  or  with  "  Messrs.  Pickering, 
Hillhouse,  Boyle,  McCrary,  and  Rhea."  Mem- 
bers of  the  Nourse  family  living  in  the  old  house 
still  cherish  some  shrubbery  planted  on  the 
grounds  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  or  point  out  the 
corner  of  the  parlor  from  which  the  charming  face 
of  Mrs.  Madison  smiled  upon  the  bride  at  a 
sister's  wedding.  Opposite  the  Highlands  is  an 
extensive  and  attractive  country-seat  with  the 
alluring  title  Friendship.  One  may  readily  fancy 
the  growth  of  friendship  among  the  lovely  walks 
and  groves  of  this  charming  place,  as  at  Straw- 
berry Hill  or  Moor  Park.  This  house  was  built 
by  Mr.  George  French,  whose  wife,  a  romantic 
lady  and  a  reader  of  novels,  named  the  place 
Eden  Bower,  after  a  country-seat  in  a  popular 
novel  of  the  day.  The  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  The   Retreat  and  The  Villa,  as  the 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

old  place  passed  into  the  hands  of  successive 
owners.  General  Jesup  and  Colonel  Richard 
Pyle,  the  latter  an  Englishman  from  the  Barbadoes, 
owned  this  property  in  turn,  until  it  was  finally 
bought  by  Mr.  John  R.  McLean,  when  it  was 
called  Friendship,  the  name  which  once  belonged 
to  the  whole  undivided  tract  of  land. 

Woodle}%  the  home  of  Philip  Barton  Key,  and 
afterwards  of  President  Van  Buren,  is  one  of  the 
beautiful  old  places  on  the  Tennleytown  Road. 
The  home  of  his  cousin,  Francis  Scott  Key,  was  in 
Georgetown,  although  he  owned  another  house  on 
Capitol  Hill.  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  this 
old  town  should  hold  associations  with  two  Ameri- 
cans, each  one  of  whom  was  the  author  of  a  single 
song  that  made  him  famous  the  world  over.  The 
house  of  the  author  of  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner," 
near  the  Aqueduct  Bridge,  is  still  pointed  out  to 
the  Georgetown  visitor,  while  the  mortal  remains 
of  the  roving  poet  who  sang  in  touching  strains  of 
the  joys  of  "  Home,  Sweet  Home"  lie  in  Oak  Hill 
Cemetery. 

Nine  miles  south  of  Georgetown,  on  the  Poto- 
mac, is  Alexandria,  first  known  as  Hunting  Creek 
Warehouse  and  afiierwards  as  Bellhaven.  It  is  diffi- 
cult now  to  believe  that  the  quiet  streets  of  this  old 
town,  whose  names.  King,  Princess,  Duke,  and 
Royal  attest  to  their  English  origin  and  seem  to 
belong  to  a  past  even  more  remote  than  that  of 
90 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


Georgetown,  were  once  the  scene  of  active  business 
life.  Yet  the  trade  of  Alexandria  formerly  rivalled 
that  of  Baltimore.  Bishop  Meade  wrote,  "So 
promising  was  it  at  the  close  of  the  war,  that  its 
claims  were  weighed  in  the  balance  with  those  of 
Washington  as  the  seat  of  the  National  Govern- 
ment. It  is  thought  but  for  the  unwillingness  of 
Washington  to  seem  partial  to  Virginia,  Alex- 
andria would  have  been  the  chosen  spot,  and  that 
on  the  first  range  of  hills  overlooking  the  town  the 
public  buildings  would  have  been  erected." 

In  addition  to  its  commercial  prominence,  Alex- 
andria was  the  centre  of  a  charming  social  life  and 
of  religious  interest  as  well.  Christ  Church,  in  Fair- 
fax Parish,  was  resorted  to  by  the  planters  and  their 
families  from  the  neighboring  countryside,  and  here 
General  Washington  and  several  of  his  friends  were 
vestrymen.  Near  Christ  Church,  at  the  comer  of 
Cameron  and  Royal  Streets,  still  stands  the  famous 
inn  where  many  distinguished  guests  were  lodged, 
among  them  the  beautiful  and  mysterious  "  Un- 
known," whose  death  in  the  inn  and  whose  name- 
less grave  in  Christ  Church  burying-ground  lend  a 
touch  of  romance  to  the  old  town. 

In  the  Alexandria  inn  many  balls  were  given  in 
Colonial  days  and  later,  as  the  old  town  boasted  its 
dancing  assembly.  The  long  hall,  now  divided 
into  several  rooms,  is  shown  where  Washington 
and  Lafayette  entered  into  the  gayeties  of  the 
91 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

hour.  To  the  balls  in  Alexandria,  as  to  those  in 
Annapolis,  which  was  a  much  gayer  little  town, 
the  county  belles  rode  upon  their  ponies,  with 
protecting  skirts  over  their  brave  attire.  These 
young  damsels  jogged  over  the  rough  roads,  fol- 
lowed by  negro  servants  on  horseback,  "  with  their 
hoops,"  says  an  old  writer,  "  arrayed  fore  and  aft, 
like  lateen  sails  ;  and  after  dancing  all  night,  they 
would  ride  home  in  the  morning." 

The  master  and  mistress  of  Mount  Vernon  were 
in  the  habit  of  attending  the  dancing  assemblies  of 
Alexandria,  taking  with  them  any  young  people 
who  were  their  guests.  From  an  entry  in  his 
diary  it  appears  that  the  General  and  his  family 
attended  the  celebration  of  his  birthday  in  Alex- 
andria, in  February,  1798,  when  a  fine  ball  was 
given  in  his  honor.  In  reply  to  an  invitation  from 
the  managers  of  the  dancing  assembly,  sent  to  him 
the  following  winter,  he  wrote  a  courteous  note 
"  to  the  Gentlemen  gf  Alexandria,"  expressing  his 
own  and  Mrs.  Washington's  thanks  and  their  re- 
grets that  they  would  be  unable  to  attend,  adding, 
"  Alas  I  our  dancing  days  are  no  more.  We  wish 
however,  for  all  those  who  have  a  relish  for  so  in- 
nocent and  agreeable  an  amusement  all  the  pleas- 
ure the  season  will  afford  them." 

Many  associations  with  Washington  the  Vir- 
ginia gentleman  and  planter  cluster  around  Alex- 
andria. Here  he  cast  his  first  vote  in  1754  and 
92 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


his  last  in  1 799,  here  stands  the  Masonic  Lodge 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  in  this  old  town 
resided  some  of  his  Hfe-long  friends.  Tradition 
relates  that  it  was  at  Belvoir,  in  Alexandria,  at 
the  home  of  Mrs.  George  William  Fairfax,  that 
Washington  first  met  Mary  Cary,  for  whom  he 
entertained  an  affection  so  deep  and  lasting.  The 
Washington  coach  was  often  seen  on  the  old 
road  between  Mount  Vernon  and  Alexandria,  on 
its  way  to  Christ  Church  on  Sundays,  and  on 
week-days  to  the  homes  of  the  Masons,  Fitzhughs, 
Hunters,  Herberts,  Piercys,  Dades,  Fairfaxes,  Du- 
lanys,  Craiks,  and  other  friends  who  lived  in  or 
near  Alexandria.  Mount  Eagle,  the  country-seat 
of  the  Reverend  Bryan  Fairfax,  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Alexandria,  was  on  this  road,  and  from 
the  General's  diary  it  appears  that  he  and  Mrs. 
Washington  often  stopped  at  this  hospitable  Vir- 
ginia home.  Sometimes  there  was  a  dinner  or  a 
hunt  at  Mount  Eagle,  or  the  General  and  Mrs. 
Washington  were  called  upon  to  stand  sponsors 
for  one  of  the  children.  Among  the  last  entries 
in  the  General's  diary  is  one  which  records  that  he 
"rode  to  Mount  Eagle  to  visit  Mr.,  now  Lord, 
Fairfax,  who  has  just  got  home  from  a  trip  to 
England." 

Other  near  neighbors  and  friends  of  General 
Washington  were  George  Mason,  of  Gunston 
Hall,  author  of  the  famous  Bill  of  Rights,  and 

93 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

George  A.  Digges,  who  lived  at  his  country-seat, 
Warburton,  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac, 
near  the  present  site  of  Fort  Washington. 

The  Diggeses  of  Maryland  belonged  to  the  Vir- 
ginia family  of  that  name,  whose  ancestors,  Ed- 
ward and  Dudley  Digges,  had  served  for  many 
years  as  members  of  "  His  Majesty's  Council  for 
Virginia."  Of  the  Councillor,  Dudley  Digges, 
who  died  in  1744,  the  following  quaint  epitaph 
was  written : 

"Digges,  ever  to  extremes  untaught  to  bend; 
Enjoying  life,  yet  mindful  of  his  end. 
In  thee  the  world  a  happy  meeting  saw 
Of  sprightly  humor  and  religious  awe. 
Cheerful,  not  wild;  facetious,  yet  not  mad; 
Though  grave,  not  sour,  though  serious,  never  sad." 

There  was  evidently  much  sociable  visiting 
between  the  Washingtons  and  the  families  at 
Warburton,  Gunston  Hall,  Belvoir,  and  other 
neighboring  country-seats.  In  addition  to  the 
hospitality  extended  by  the  planters  on  the  Po- 
tomac during  the  hunting  season,  Mr.  Irving 
speaks  of  "  water-parties  upon  the  Potomac  in 
those  palmy  days,  when  Mr.  Digges  would  receive 
his  guests  in  a  barge  rowed  by  six  negroes  arrayed 
in  a  uniform  whose  distinguishing  features  were 
check  shirts  and  black  velvet  caps."  As  Mr.  Irv- 
ing's  "palmy  days"  were  before  the  Revolution, 

94 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


the  "  Mr.  Digges"  referred  to  was  evidently  Mr. 
George  A.  Digges,  who  lived  at  Warburton  until 
his  death  in  1792.  At  this  time  Warburton 
passed  into  the  hands  of  a  bachelor  brother, 
Thomas.  As  was  customary  with  the  sons  of 
the  Virginia  planter,  Thomas  Digges  had  spent 
his  youth  in  London,  where  he  was  known  in  his 
circle  of  friends  as  the  handsome  American, — to 
which  epithet  his  right  is  proved  by  his  portrait  by 
Sir  Joshua  Reynolds.  Although  young  Digges 
lived  the  life  of  a  youth  of  fashion  among  the 
"  Macaroni"  of  his  day,  when  his  services  were 
needed  by  his  country  he  proved  himself  to  be 
a  man  of  resolute  character  and  ardently  patriotic. 
The  Continental  Congress  required  a  secret  and 
confidential  agent  near  the  Court  of  St.  James, 
and  Thomas  Digges  was,  through  the  influence  of 
General  Washington,  selected  for  this  hazardous 
and  important  mission.  While  in  London,  if  Mr. 
Digges  heard  discouraging  news  of  the  defeats 
and  sufferings  of  the  Continental  army  he  also 
had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  of  the  surrender  of 
Burgoyne,  the  victories  in  the  Jerseys,  and  the 
final  triumph  at  Yorktown.  When  sitting  to  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds  for  his  portrait  he  doubtless 
heard  expressions  in  favor  of  the  American  cause 
from  such  friends  of  freedom  and  justice  as  Lord 
Chatham  and  Charles  James  Fox,  or  he  may  have 
been  present  when  Dr.  Johnson,  who  was  a  warm 

95 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

friend  of  Sir  Joshua,  growled  forth  in  his  gruff, 
direct  fashion  his  famous  diatribe,  "  How  is  it  we 
hear  the  loudest  yelps  for  liberty  from  the  drivers 
of  slaves'?" 

It  appears  from  a  letter  of  Mr.  William  Dudley 
Digges,  of  Green  Hill,  that  Major  L'Enfant  was 
staying  at  Warburton  before  he  accepted  that 
gentleman's  hospitable  invitation  to  make  his 
home  at  his  own  country-seat.  At  this  time 
Mr.  William  Dudley  Digges  and  his  wife,  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  Carroll  of  Duddington,  were 
living  at  Green  Hill,  near  Bladensburg,  which 
country-seat  was  a  portion  of  the  Digges  estate 
known  as  the  Chilham  Castle  Manor,  lying  be- 
tween Rock  Creek  Church  and  Bladensburg. 
Chilham  Manor  remained  in  possession  of  the 
family  until  1 863,  when  it  became  a  part  of  the 
Riggs  estate.  Another  Digges  seat  was  Melwood, 
the  home  of  Dr.  Ignatius  Digges.  Mrs.  Digges, 
a  sister  of  Daniel  Carroll  of  Duddington,  was 
living  at  Melwood  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of 
Bladensburg.  A  party  of  British  officers  stopped 
at  Melwood  and  ordered  a  dinner.  When  the 
table  was  spread  the  officers  sent  for  Mrs.  Digges 
and  asked  her  to  preside  over  the  meal.  She 
appeared  as  desired,  but  declined  to  avail  herself 
of  the  hospitality  of  her  self-constituted  enter- 
tainers, saying  that  she  could  not  eat  or  drink 
with  the  enemies  of  her  country.  As  Mrs. 
96 


COUNTY    FAMILIES 


Digges  left:  the  room,  the  British  officers  filled 
their  glasses  and  drank  to  the  health  of  the 
valiant  and  patriotic  lady. 

Northeast  of  Washington,  on  the  Eastern 
Branch  of  the  Potomac  and  across  the  District 
line,  is  Bladensburg,  chiefly  remembered  to-day  as 
the  scene  of  the  disastrous  and  ignominious  battle 
fought  there  in  1814.  This  straggling  hamlet  of 
scattered  frame  houses  was  a  flourishing  portage 
town  long  before  the  federal  city  was  dreamed  of. 
Some  of  the  buildings  once  used  for  the  storage 
of  tobacco,  large  quantities  of  which  were  ex- 
ported, are  still  standing.  In  and  near  the  town 
are  some  fine  old  mansions.  Among  these,  Bos- 
tock  House,  with  its  buttresses,  so  seldom  seen  in 
domestic  architecture,  is  a  fine  example  of  a  spa- 
cious, substantial,  old-time  residence.  This  house 
was  built  in  1756  by  Christopher  Lowndes.  His 
daughter,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Stoddert,  in  her  letters 
from  Philadelphia,  often  speaks  of  Bostock 
House  and  its  lovely  garden,  as  well  as  of  that 
of  Graden,  which  was  another  family  mansion 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Bladensburg.  No  flowers 
seemed  to  this  loyal  lover  of  her  old  home  as 
sweet  as  those  that  graced  the  gardens  of  her  child- 
hood, and  in  one  of  her  letters  to  her  cousin.  Miss 
Gantt,  of  Graden,  she  says  that  she  often  dreams 
of  these  gardens,  adding,  almost  pathetically,  "  I 
very  often  put  myself  in  mind  of  the  Prodigal  son, 
7  97 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

and  think  how  glad  I  should  be  of  the  fruit  that 
is  left  at  your  table  when  the  family  are  done 
with  it." 

Not  far  from  Bostock  House  is  the  Bladensburg 
battle-ground,  and  another  equally  famous  field, 
that  upon  which  gentlemen  of  the  old  regime 
were  wont  to  vindicate  the  honor  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  prevailing  fashion  of  the  day,  could 
only  be  maintained  by  a  sword-thrust.  The  Bla- 
densburg duelling-grounds,  the  scene  of  many 
historic  encounters,  are  situated  in  a  shaded  ravine, 
beside  a  running  stream,  one  mile  beyond  the 
village  of  the  same  name,  in  Prince  George's 
County,  Maryland,  and  half  a  mile  from  the 
District  line. 

A  short  distance  north  of  the  village  of  Bladens- 
burg was  Mr.  George  Calvert's  country-seat, 
Riversdale,  once  an  estate  of  many  hundreds  of 
acres.  "Wealth,  taste,  education,  and  an  extensive 
acquaintance  combined  to  enhance  the  charm  of 
the  entertainments  given  at  this  hospitable  home. 
Mr.  Calvert's  mansion  was  built  much  later  than 
Bostock  House,  and  between  the  large  drawing- 
rooms  are  some  columns  which  were  originally 
made  for  the  Capitol.  George  Calvert  was  a 
brother  of  beautiful  Eleanor  Calvert,  who  won 
the  heart  of  John  Parke  Custis  when  she  was  a 
girl  of  fifteen  and  married  him  before  she  was 
seventeen.  Arthur  Lee  met  Mrs.  Custis  during 
98 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


her  widowhood,  and  spoke  of  her  as  a  "  most 
tempting  widow  independent  of  the  jointure 
lands."  Mrs.  Custis  afterwards  married  Dr. 
Stuart,  of  Hope  Park  and  Ossian  Hall. 

John  Parke  Custis  owned  a  tract  of  over  a 
thousand  acres  on  the  Potomac,  which  was  named 
Arlington,  as  was  the  country-seat  of  old  Colonel 
John  Custis  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Virginia. 
This  property,  which  had  been  a  part  of  the  Alex- 
ander estate,  John  Custis  bought  on  account  of  its 
nearness  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  on  his  death  in 
1781  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  only  son, 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  who  was  always 
known  in  Washington  life  as  Mr.  Custis  of 
Arlington. 

Young  Custis  and  his  sister  Eleanor  were  the 
adopted  children  of  General  Washington,  and 
lived  at  Mount  Vernon  during  his  lifetime  and 
that  of  their  grandmother,  Mrs.  Washington.  It 
was  not  until  after  his  grandmother's  death,  in 
1802,  that  Mr.  Custis  built  the  Arlington  mansion, 
which  is  still  standing  in  grounds  used  to-day  as 
the  burial-place  of  the  soldiers  of  the  nation.* 

*  When  General  Robert  E.  Lee  left  Arlington  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  Virginia  troops,  some  Federal  troops  took  possession 
and  converted  the  mansion  into  a  head-quarters  and  the  groimds 
into  a  camp.  A  hospital  was  established  there,  and  as  the  war 
continued,  the  level  plateaus  and  grassy  slopes  of  Arlington  were 
by  order  of  Ouartermaster-General  Meigs  devoted  to  the  purpose 
99 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

This  handsome  house,  with  its  lofty  portico, 
whose  roof  is  supported  by  Doric  columns  said  to 
be  modelled  after  those  of  the  Temple  of  Theseus 
at  Athens,  stands  on  a  bluff  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  Potomac  and  is  surrounded  by  fine 
trees.  To  this  home  Mr.  Custis  brought  his  bride, 
Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh,  a  daughter  of  William  Fitz- 
hugh,  of  Chatham,  Virginia.  Bishop  Meade  and 
other  writers  of  the  time  have  spoken  of  the  love- 
liness and  charm  of  Mrs.  Custis,  who  entered  with 
her  husband  into  the  social  life  of  Washington 
and  the  country  neighborhood  surrounding  it,  as 
much  as  the  cares  of  her  own  little  family  and 
those  of  a  large  family  of  slaves  permitted.  Bishop 
Meade  testifies  to  Mrs.  Custis's  unfailing  kindness 
and  conscientious  performance  of  her  duty  towards 
every  slave  on  the  plantation. 

Many  guests  of  the  nation  came  to  Arlington 
in  the  early  years  of  the  century,  as  this  was  a 
home  of  generous  hospitality,  among  them  friends 

of  a  military  cemetery.  By  a  strange  coincidence,  the  first  grave 
prepared  was  that  of  a  Confederate  prisoner  who  had  died  in  the 
hospital.  In  the  year  1864  the  property  was  sold  for  delinquent 
taxes,  and  the  government  bought  it,  paying  twenty-six  thousand 
one  hundred  dollars.  In  1877  George  Washington  Custis 
Lee,  heir  under  the  Custis  will,  established  his  legal  title  to 
the  property,  and  the  claim  was  adjusted  by  the  payment  to  him 
by  the  United  States  of  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars. 


COUNTY   FAMILIES 


of  General  Washington  who  delighted  to  visit  the 
adopted  son  of  their  old  comrade  in  arms.  The 
Marquis  de  Lafayette  and  his  son  visited  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Custis  in  1824,  and  pronounced  the  view 
from  the  heights  one  of  the  most  beautiful  they 
had  ever  seen.  In  one  of  the  large  rooms  on 
the  ground  floor,  once  the  drawing-room  of  Mrs. 
Custis,  lovely  Mary  Custis  was  married  upon  a 
June  day,  in  1831,  to  Robert  E.  Lee,  the  great 
general  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  In  April, 
1861,  General,  then  Colonel,  Lee  left  Arlington 
with  his  family,  never  more  to  return  to  this 
beautiful  and  peaceful  home. 


V 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

DR.  MANASSEH  CUTLER,  who  spent 
many  evenings  at  the  house  of  the  Secretary 
of  State  and  dehghted  in  the  gracious  manners  and 
spirited  conversation  of  Mrs.  Madison,  said  that 
upon  one  occasion  this  usually  amiable  woman 
expressed  herself  quite  forcibly  upon  the  dishon- 
esty of  Democrats.  Dr.  Cutler  remarked,  inquir- 
ingly, "  You  do  not  believe  all  the  Democrats 
are  dishonest  ?"  "  Yes,"  she  said,  "I  do  ;  every 
one  of  them  !"  This  unequivocal  rejoinder  pro- 
voked a  merry  laugh,  in  which  the  grave  little 
Secretary  of  State  joined  heartily. 

When  Mrs.  Madison  gave  expression  to  her 
sweeping  strictures  upon  Democrats,  she  must 
surely  have  made  a  mental  reservation  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Jefferson,  with  whom  she  was  a  great 
favorite  and  for  whom  she  entertained  a  sincere 
regard.  Indeed,  it  was  in  consequence  of  Mr. 
Jefferson's  having  given  the  precedence  to  Mrs. 
Madison  at  a  state  dinner  that  he  aroused  the 
animosity  of  the  British  minister,  Anthony  Merry. 
White  House  etiquette  does  not  seem  to  have 
occupied  Mr.  Jefferson's  thoughts  very  consider- 
ably at  this  time,  and  either  from  carelessness  or 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

because  of  his  defiant  red-republicanism,  he  quite 
seriously  offended  a  number  of  persons. 

Sir  Augustus  Foster,  writing  of  the  difference 
between  the  etiquette  of  the  Executive  Mansion 
during  an  earlier  administration  and  that  of  Mr. 
Jefferson,  gave  utterance  to  his  dissatisfaction  in 
no  measured  terms.  "  Mr.  Jefferson,"  he  said, 
"knew  too  well  what  he  was  about — he  had 
lived  in  too  good  society  at  Paris,  where  he  was 
employed  as  Minister  from  the  United  States 
previously  to  the  French  revolution,  and  where 
he  had  been  admitted  to  the  coteries  of  Madame 
du  Deffaud,  not  to  set  a  value  on  the  decencies 
and  proprieties  of  life,  but  he  was  playing  a  game 
for  retaining  the  highest  office  in  a  State  where 
manners  are  not  a  prevailing  feature  in  the  great 
mass  of  the  society,  being,  except  in  the  large 
tov/ns,  rather  despised  as  a  mark  of  effeminacy 
by  the  majority,  who  seem  to  glory  in  being  only 
thought  men  of  bold,  strong  minds  and  good 
sound  judgment." 

Although  Sir  Augustus  was  often  extreme  in 
expression  with  regard  to  the  existing  administration 
and  the  hardships  of  life  in  Washington,  which  he 
compared  very  unfavorably  with  that  of  Phila- 
delphia, he  probably  reflected  the  mental  attitude 
of  the  majority  of  the  diplomats  in  the  capital  at 
the  time.  The  Spanish  envoy,  the  Marquis  de 
Casa  Yrujo,  who  had  been  upon  friendly  terms  with 
103 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Jefferson  while  in  Philadelphia,  opposed  him- 
self to  the  President,  and  was  recalled,  doubtless 
for  good  and  sufficient  reasons,  while  Anthony- 
Merry,  who  was  the  most  conventional  of  mor- 
tals, found  his  path  in  Washington  so  thorny 
that  he  must  have  been  thankful  when  his  sum- 
mons came  to  return  to  his  native  Britain. 

It  was  upon  the  occasion  of  one  of  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son's state  dinners,  given  at  rare  intervals,  that  he 
committed  the  "unpardonable  sin,"  in  the  eyes 
of  the  punctilious,  of  taking  in  the  lady  who 
stood  next  to  him — Mrs.  Madison — and  request- 
ing his  guests  to  do  the  same,  Mr.  Merry  hap- 
pened to  be  beside  his  wife,  and  as  no  other  lady- 
appeared  to  be  disengaged,  he  walked  into  dinner 
with  his  "  tall,  fair,  fat  dame"  upon  his  arm, 
"  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter"  against 
the  Democratic  President.  Sir  Augustus,  who 
warmly  resented  what  he  chose  to  consider  in- 
dignities to  his  chief,  said  that  "  Mr.  Merry  never 
met  his  Excellency  any  more  at  table  since  the 
President,  unlike  our  social  monarchs  of  the 
north,  keeps  his  State — neither  he  nor  his  family 
accepting  of  invitations."  The  young  secretary 
proved  that  he  was  not  deficient  in  humor  by 
relating  in  this  connection,  and  with  evident 
satisfaction,  the  story  of  an  eccentric  member 
from  the  South,  a  printer  and  publisher,  who 
wrote  in  answer  to  an  invitation  from  the  Presi- 
104 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

dent,  "  I  won't  dine  with  you,  because  you  won't 
dine  with  me." 

A  New  England  Congressman  wrote  to  his 
daughter  that  he  and  his  colleagues  were  invited 
to  dine  at  the  White  House  "  by  billets  sent  into 
the  Hall."  Some  of  these  "billets,"  still  pre- 
served in  Washington  families,  are  interesting, 
not  only  on  account  of  their  extreme  simplicity, 
but  because  of  their  generous  inclusiveness.  An 
invitation  sent  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  Harrison  Smith 
reads  as  follows : 

"  Th.  Jefferson  requests  the  favor  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  to 
dine  with  him  on  Tuesday  next  (26th)  at  half  after  three,  and 
any  friends  who  may  be  with  them. 

"  April  25:    1803. 

"The  favor  of  an  answer  is  asked." 

A  marked  difference  is  to  be  observed  between 
this  wording  and  that  of  a  dinner-invitation  of  the 
first  President  and  his  wife,  which  is  almost  iden- 
tical with  one  of  to-day,  proving  that  after  a 
hundred  years  of  experience  in  official  etiquette 
no  more  appropriate  form  has  been  found  than 
the  one  used  by  this  courteous  and  dignified 
couple.  One  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  invitations  to 
Mr.  Joseph  Nourse  was  worded  with  far  more  re- 
gard to  affairs  of  state  than  to  the  excellence  of  the 
dinner  or  the  temper  of  the  cook.  This  particular 
invitation  was  a  request  to  Mr.  Nourse  to  dine 
105 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

with  Mr.  Jefferson  "whenever  the  House  shall 
rise." 

Mr.  Joseph  Nourse,  who  was  Register  of  the 
Treasury,  retained  his  position  through  several 
administrations  in  days  when  the  term  "  civil  ser- 
vice" was  unknown  in  its  present  significance ;  his 
son,  Charles  J.  Nourse,  was  chief  clerk  in  the 
War  Department,  while  other  members  of  the 
family  were  in  office,  which  circumstance  gave 
point  to  the  clever  mot  attributed  to  General  Jack- 
son, who  said  that  when  he  became  President  he 
would  "  soon  clear  out  the  NourseryT 

However  Mr.  Jefferson  might  choose  to  scant 
the  measure  of  form  and  ceremony  at  the  White 
House,  there  was  no  limit  to  his  hospitality.  Ed- 
mund Bacon,  the  steward  from  Monticello,  in  his 
recollections,  said  of  the  President's  dinners,  that 
the  table  was  "  chock  full"  every  one  of  the  six- 
teen days  he  was  visiting  him.  The  dinner  was 
at  half-past  three  or  four  o'clock  ;  and  although 
there  was  no  more  form  and  ceremony  observed 
than  at  a  family  dinner,  Mr.  Bacon  said  that  the 
guests  usually  sat  and  talked  until  night,  and  he, 
finding  it  tiresome,  would  "  quit  when  he  got 
through  eating."  He  adds  that  Lemaire,  who  was 
the  purveyor  for  the  household,  told  him  he  often 
spent  fifty  dollars  upon  one  day's  marketing. 
Whether  or  not  this  last  statement  is  to  be  relied 
upon,   all    guests   who   were    entertained   at   the 

io6 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

White  House  during  Mr.  Jefferson's  administra- 
tion testify  to  the  generous  hospitaUty  of  their 
host.  If  Petit,  the  steward  who  followed  Mr.  Jef- 
erson  from  Paris,  carried  out  his  intention  de  tester 
toujours^  and  was  still  a  member  of  the  household, 
this  extravagant  American  living  must  have  greatly 
vexed  his  frugal  French  soul. 

Dr.  Cutler  recorded  many  dinners  at  "  his  Dem- 
ocratic Majesty's,"  at  which  the  bill  of  fare,  jotted 
down  for  the  amusement  of  his  daughter,  proved 
that  the  entertainment  was  generous,  if  somewhat 
incongruous, — fried  eggs  and  fried  beef  being  given 
place  upon  a  board  that  was  graced  by  the  more 
distinguished  company  of  turkeys,  ducks,  and 
rounds  of  beef,  "  the  new  foreign  dish  macaroni," 
ices,  and  various  fancy  dishes,  among  them  "  a 
new  kind  of  pudding,  very  porous  and  light,  in- 
side white  as  milk  or  curd,  covered  with  cream 
sauce."  This  last  delicacy  seems  to  have  ap- 
pealed strongly  to  the  gastronomic  sensibilities  of 
the  Reverend  Manasseh. 

At  another  White  House  dinner,  given  soon 
after  Mr.  Jefferson's  inauguration,  Dr.  Cutler,  like 
the  traditional  busy  bee,  "  improved  the  shining 
hour"  by  presenting  the  President  with  "  a  speci- 
men of  wadding  for  Ladies  cloaks  and  of  bed- 
ticks  from  the  Beverly  Factory." 

The  Arcadian  simplicity  of  a  dinner  at  which 
such  important  staples  as  wadding  and  bed-ticks 
107 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

were  handed  around  among  the  guests  and  dis- 
cussed was  calculated  to  please  a  farmer  President, 
who,  with  his  large  share  of  ideality,  was  emi- 
nently practical  and  was  ever  ready  to  turn  from 
grave  questions  of  statesmanship  and  international 
policy  to  enter  with  enthusiasm  into  the  consid- 
eration of  agricultural  experiments  at  Monticello 
or  the  introduction  of  new  manufactures  into  the 
Northern  States. 

At  the  numerous  dinners  described  by  Dr.  Cutler 
and  other  members  of  Congress,  when  Democrats 
were  invited  at  one  time  and  Federalists  at  another, 
it  is  evident  that  affairs  of  state  were  discussed  by 
the  President  and  his  guests  in  the  long  after- 
noons and  evenings  when  they  lingered  around 
the  board.  Mr.  Parton  says  that  while  in  France 
Mr.  Jefferson  formed  "the  habit  of  mitigating 
business  with  dinner,"  which  custom  he  seems  to 
have  observed  during  his  official  life  in  Wash- 
ington. 

Although  this  was  an  administration  when  Sena- 
tors and  Representatives  were  hospitably  wined 
and  dined,  little  amusement  seems  to  have  been 
provided  for  their  wives  and  daughters.  The 
weekly  levee  was  abolished  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  and 
no  receptions  were  held  except  on  New  Year's  Day 
and  the  Fourth  of  July.  Whatever  visions  of 
gayety  in  the  White  House  may  have  been  cher- 
ished by  the  maids  and  matrons  of  the  capital,  they 

io8 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Mr.  Parton  tells 
of  an  effort  made  by  some  persistent  dames  to 
cajole  Mr.  Jefferson  into  resuming  the  customary 
levees  ;  but,  with  his  habitual  courtesy  and  gal- 
lantry of  address  in  the  presence  of  women,  he  was 
the  last  man  in  the  republic  to  yield  to  cajolery  or 
flattery  when  he  had  decided  upon  any  given 
course  of  conduct.  Consequently,  when  a  num- 
ber of  ladies  donned  their  bravest  attire  and  ap- 
peared at  the  White  House  to  do  honor  to  the 
new  President,  the  reception  accorded  them,  al- 
though quite  within  the  bounds  of  civility,  was 
so  wanting  in  cordiality  as  to  prevent  a  repetition 
of  the  experiment.  The  lack  of  gayety  in  the 
Executive  Mansion  was  due  not  only  to  the  sim- 
plicity of  Mr.  Jefferson's  tastes  and  his  conscien- 
tious scruples  against  anything  approaching  the 
formality  of  a  court,  but  also  to  the  fact  that  no 
woman  presided  over  the  President's  household 
during  this  administration. 

The  President's  daughters  were  with  him  very 
little  during  his  eight  years  residence  at  the  White 
House,  although  his  sons-in-law,  Mr.  Randolph 
and  Mr.  Eppes,  were  both  in  Congress.  Mrs. 
Randolph's  large  family  naturally  claimed  her 
presence  at  home  and  Mrs.  Eppes's  health  became 
extremely  delicate  soon  after  her  marriage.  Maria 
Jefferson,  who  was  much  more  beautiful  than  her 
sister,  was  so  shy  and  reticent  that  she  failed  to 
109 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

make  friends  readily,  while  Mrs.  Randolph  always 
produced  a  pleasing  impression  in  every  circle  that 
she  entered  by  the  charm  of  her  manners  and  con- 
versation. In  her  own  home  Maria,  or  Polly,  as 
her  father  usually  called  her,  was  most  engaging. 
The  Due  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  who  visited  Mon- 
ticello  in  1796,  when  Mr.  Jefferson's  youngest 
daughter  was  his  inseparable  companion,  shrewdly 
remarked, "  Miss  Maria  constantly  resides  with  her 
father ;  but  as  she  is  seventeen  years  old,  and  is 
remarkably  handsome,  she  will  doubtless  soon 
find  that  there  are  duties  which  it  is  sweeter  to 
perform  than  those  of  a  daughter." 

It  was  John  Wayles  Eppes,  the  "  Cousin 
Jacky"  whom  Maria  had  known  and  loved  all 
her  life,  who  claimed  the  shy  beauty;  and  so 
cheerfully  did  Mr.  Jefferson  face  the  fulfilment  of 
the  French  nobleman's  prophecy,  that  we  find  him 
writing  to  a  friend  at  the  time  of  his  daughter's 
engagement  that  he  would  have  chosen  Jacky 
Eppes  for  his  little  Polly  if  he  had  had  the  whole 
world  to  choose  from. 

Dr.  Cutler  wrote  in  1802  of  the  President's 
daughters  being  present  at  a  large  dinner,  adding, 
"  They  appeared  well-accomplished  women,  very 
delicate  and  tolerably  handsome."  This  was 
during  the  one  visit  which  Mrs.  Randolph  and 
Mrs.  Eppes  made  to  the  White  House  together, 
when  they  entered  considerably  into  the  social  life 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

of  the  capital.  We  find  Mrs.  Randolph  preparing 
for  her  Washington  campaign  by  writing  to  her 
friend  Mrs.  Madison  to  ask  her  to  attend  to  some 
commissions,  among  them  the  ordering  of  two 
wigs,  one  for  herself  and  one  for  her  sister,  which 
she  wishes  to  be  of  the  most  fashionable  shapes 
and  to  reach  Washington  before  she  does.  "  They 
are  universally  worn,"  she  added, "  and  will  relieve 
us  as  to  the  necessity  of  dressing  our  own  hair,  a 
business  in  which  neither  of  us  are  adepts."  That 
Mrs.  Randolph,  who  was  a  woman  of  superior 
intellect,  should  so  far  conform  to  the  dictates  of 
fashion  as  to  disfigure  her  own  head  and  that  of 
her  beautiful  young  sister  with  a  wig,  entirely  re- 
gardless of  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Eppes's  masses  of 
auburn  hair  were  her  crowning  glory,  is  a  revela- 
tion of  the  greater  tyranny  of  fashion  in  those  days 
than  in  our  own.  Although  Mrs.  Randolph  wrote 
to  her  father  of  the  ordering  of  wigs  as  part  of  her 
own  and  her  sister's  trousseau,  the  announcement 
appears  to  have  elicited  no  remonstrance  from  him, 
which  is  surprising,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Jefferson  found  no  detail  of  his  daughters'  lives  too 
trifling  to  occupy  his  thoughts,  and  had  been  wont 
to  turn  from  his  arduous  official  duties  to  write  to 
them  upon  every  subject  that  appertained  to  the 
appearance,  mind,  and  manners  of  a  well-con- 
ducted young  woman.  In  one  of  his  letters, 
written  when   Mrs.   Randolph  was  a   child,  Mr- 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Jefferson  expressed  his  desire  to  have  her  dance 
three  days  in  the  week  from  eleven  until  one, 
while  in  another  letter  he  begs  her  to  be  tidy  in 
appearance,  in  the  morning  as  well  as  in  the  even- 
ing, and  never  to  allow  herself  to  be  seen  care- 
lessly attired  by  any  one,  especially  by  gentlemen, 
adding  the  powerful  argument  that  his  sex  de- 
spised slovenliness. 

A  little  over  a  year  after  Mrs.  Eppes's  visit  to  her 
father  in  Washington  she  died  at  Monticello.  Of 
this  sorrow  Mr.  Jefferson  wrote  to  his  old  friend. 
Governor  John  Page,  the  same  to  whom  he  had 
once  confided  his  youthful  troubles  about  "  Be- 
linda," "  My  loss  is  great  indeed.  Others  may 
lose  of  their  abundance ;  but  I,  of  my  want,  have 
lost  even  the  half  of  all  I  had." 

Mr.  Jefferson's  friends  said  that  he  never  recov- 
ered from  the  shock  and  grief  of  his  daughter's 
death.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  man  who 
viewed  with  apparent  stoicism  the  sufferings  of 
the  royal  family  and  noblesse  of  France,  which 
drew  tears  from  the  eyes  of  Edmund  Burke  and 
Gouverneur  Morris,  was  the  same  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son who  in  his  domestic  relations  and  in  his 
friendships  manifested  the  most  extreme  sensi- 
bility. 

In  order  to  help  her  father  to  bear  the  grief  and 
loneliness  occasioned  by  the  death  of  his  youngest 
daughter,   Mrs.   Randolph   spent   the   winter    of 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

1805-06  in  Washington.  It  was  during  this  win- 
ter that  her  second  son,  James  Madison  Randolph, 
was  born,  the  first  child  of  the  White  House. 
All  of  Mrs.  Randolph's  children  were  with  her 
this  winter,  and  her  daughter  Anne,  an  exceed- 
ingly beautiful  girl,  entered  into  some  of  the 
youthful  gayeties  of  the  capital.  Anne  Randolph 
was  always  a  prime  favorite  of  her  grandfather, 
who,  like  Victor  Hugo,  had  been  apt  in  learning 
"/'^r/  d'etre  grandpere.'"  In  one  of  his  letters, 
written  during  her  babyhood,  he  exclaimed  "  dear 
little  Anne,  with  whom  even  Socrates  might  ride 
on  a  stick  without  being  ridiculous  I"  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam Seaton,  in  one  of  her  letters  from  the  capital, 
spoke  of  another  and  later  occasion  when  the 
admiring  grandfather  had  reason  to  feel  that 
homage  to  Anne  Randolph  would  not  have  been 
unworthy  of  the  Greek  philosopher ;  this  was  when 
she  translated  from  the  Spanish  an  important  paper 
that  had  puzzled  some  of  the  wise  heads  at  the 
Department  of  State. 

Mrs.  Randolph  was  the  mother  of  twelve  chil- 
dren. Of  her  seven  daughters,  Septemia,  who 
married  Dr.  Meikleham,  was  the  youngest.  One 
little  girl  died  in  childhood.  The  Abbe  Correa 
da  Serra,  who  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  family, 
once  said  to  Mrs.  Randolph,  when  at  Monticello, 
that  her  daughters  were  "  like  the  Pleiades,  there 
were  seven  of  them  but  only  six  were  visible." 

8  113 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

During  one  of  Mrs.  Randolph's  visits  to  Wash- 
ington Mrs.  Merry  attempted  to  revenge  herself 
for  the  indignities  that  she  considered  had  been 
heaped  upon  her  by  the  President.  The  British 
matron,  in  all  probability  instigated  by  her  hus- 
band, wrote  to  Mrs.  Randolph  asking  her  whether 
she  were  visiting  the  White  House  as  the  Presi- 
dent's daughter  or  as  the  wife  of  a  Virginia  gen- 
tleman ;  as  in  the  former  case  she  would  make  the 
first  call,  but  in  the  latter  she  would  expect  to 
receive  it.  Mrs.  Randolph  promptly  replied  with 
the  clever  checkmate  that  she  was  in  Washington 
as  the  wife  of  a  Virginia  gentleman,  and  as  such 
should  expect  the  first  call  from  the  wife  of  the 
British  minister,  as,  according  to  the  code  of  eti- 
quette drawn  up  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  all  strangers  in 
the  capital  should  be  called  upon  by  the  residents. 
From  this  and  other  anecdotes  it  appears  that  Mr. 
Jefferson,  despite  his  democratic  notions,  had  no 
idea  of  allowing  himself  or  his  family  to  be  treated 
with  any  lack  of  respect.  Poor  Mr.  Merry  had 
borne  several  severe  shocks  in  consequence  of  the 
informality  and  simplicity  of  this  administration, 
and  after  receiving  some  salutary  lessons  in  eti- 
quette from  the  Father  of  Democracy  was  suc- 
ceeded by  David  Montague  Erskine,  afterwards 
Lord  Erskine.  Mrs.  Randolph  and  Mrs.  Madison, 
who  were  warm  friends,  doubtless  had  many  a 
hearty  laugh  over  the  Merrys  and  their  grievances, 
114 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

and  rejoiced  when  the  English  minister's  "  resigna- 
tion," which  appears  never  to  have  been  sent,  was 
accepted  by  his  government  with  alacrity. 

Philadelphia  beauty  and  grace  were  well  repre- 
sented in  Washington  during  Mr.  Jefferson's  ad- 
ministration by  the  wives  of  the  British  and  Spanish 
ministers.  Mrs.  Erskine,  a  daughter  of  General 
John  Cadwalader,  was  greatly  admired  at  home 
and  abroad,  while  the  dark,  dreamy  eyes  of  the 
Marchioness  Yrujo,  which  look  forth  from  her 
portrait  by  Stuart,  seem  to  proclaim  her  more 
truly  a  child  of  the  South  than  the  blue  eyes  and 
blond  coloring  of  her  Spanish  husband.  This 
young  woman,  as  Sally  McKean,  had  been  an  in- 
timate friend  of  Mrs.  Madison  and  her  sister  Anna 
Payne,  and  later  in  the  diplomatic  circle  of  the 
capital  they  renewed  their  acquaintance. 

Whatever  social  joys  may  have  been  lacking  in 
the  Executive  Mansion  there  was  a  house  on  F 
Street  whose  mistress  "  daily  sacrificed  to  the 
graces."  At  the  hospitable  home  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  State  there  was  always  a  warm  welcome, 
and  usually  a  circle  of  charming  women  and 
clever  men  gathered  around  the  hostess.  It  was 
during  the  early  years  of  her  official  life  that 
Mrs.  Madison  began  a  social  reign  in  Washington 
that,  with  some  interruptions,  during  her  sojourns 
at  Montpelier,  lasted  for  over  forty  years.  Into 
the  life  of  the  new  capital,  which  Mrs.  Adams  had 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

found  uncomfortable  and  arduous,  Mrs.  Madison 
entered  with  enthusiasm,  bringing  to  her  task  a 
natural  taste  for  social  life,  tact,  charm,  an  inex- 
haustible fund  of  good  humor,  and  a  heart  that 
could  never  grow  old.  The  most  self-forgetful, 
the  least  self-seeking  of  mortals  was  Mrs.  Madi- 
son ;  her  happiness  seemed  always  to  be  bound 
up  in  that  of  others,  yet  to  her  all  good  things 
came  as  if  by  natural  attraction. 

Dr.  Mitchill,  who  was  in  turn  Representative 
and  Senator  from  New  York,  has  left  a  pen-pict- 
ure of  Mrs.  Madison  as  she  appeared  at  the  time. 
This  description  is  introduced  by  a  bit  of  the  gossip 
which  learned  men  in  that  day,  even  as  in  our 
own  time,  seem  to  have  relished. 

"  While  Congress  sat  in  New  York,"  wrote  Dr. 
Mitchill,  "  it  was  reported  that  he  [Mr.  Madison] 
was  fascinated  by  the  celebrated  Mrs.  Colden,  of 
our  city,  she  who  was  so  noted  for  her  masculine 
understanding  and  activity,  as  well  as  for  feminine 
graces  and  accomplishments.  But  Mr.  Madison 
was  reserved  for  another  widow,  who  some  years 
after  became  connected  to  him  by  the  nuptial  tie. 
This  lady  was  Mrs.  Todd." 

From  the  irrefragable  testimony  of  a  letter  of 
the  time,  it  appears  that  the  affections  of  Mr.  Madi- 
son had  been  engaged  by  still  another  fair  one  before 
Aaron  Burr  introduced  him  to  the  vivacious  Widow 
Todd.     This  earlier  charmer  was  Catherine  Floyd, 

ii6 


JEFFERSONIAN    SIMPLICITY 

who  when  she  jilted  the  "great  little  Madison" 
sealed  her  letter  with  a  bit  of  rye  dough.  Whatever 
symbolism  was  connected  with  rye  dough  seems  to 
be  unknown  to  the  mischievous  flirt  of  to-day, 
but  of  the  import  of  the  missive  which  it  sealed 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  question.  These  unre- 
quiting  ladies,  damsel  and  widow,  were  doubtless 
quite  forgotten  in  the  great  happiness  that  came  to 
James  Madison  in  his  marriage  with  a  woman 
who  thoroughly  appreciated  and  loved  him,  of 
whom  the  admiring  Dr.  Mitchill  said,  in  1802, 
when  Mrs.  Madison  was  about  thirty-five  years 
of  age : 

"  She  has  a  fine  person  and  a  most  engaging 
countenance,  which  pleases,  not  so  such  from  mere 
symmetry  or  complexion,  as  from  expression.  Her 
smile,  her  conversation,  and  her  manners  are  so 
engaging,  that  it  is  no  wonder  that  such  a  young 
widow,  with  her  fine  blue  eyes  and  large  share  of 
animation,  should  be,  indeed,  a  queen  of  hearts," 

In  another  letter  Dr.  Mitchill  wrote  to  his  wife 
of  New  Year's  Day,  1802,  which  he  spoke  of  as  a 
time  of  great  parade  in  the  city  of  Washington. 
This  was  evidently  one  of  the  occasions  upon 
which  the  President  set  aside  his  personal  inclina- 
tions and  prejudices  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure  of 
the  many.  Dr.  Mitchill  wrote  that  the  Secretaries 
of  the  Navy,  State,  Treasury,  and  other  depart- 
ments, and  the  foreign  ministers,  with  their  wives, 
117 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

were  in  attendance  to  pay  their  homage  to  the 
Executive. 

"  Arriving  late,"  he  recorded,  "  I  met  a  whole 
troop  of  ladies  and  their  attendant  gallants  coming 
down  the  outside  stairs  and  going  to  their  car- 
riages. On  passing  the  great  hall  and  entering 
the  north  drawing-room,  I  found  still  a  large  party 
there.  The  President  was  standing  near  the  mid- 
dle of  the  room  to  salute  and  converse  with  visit- 
ors. The  male  part  of  them  walked  about  or 
made  groups  for  conversation,  while  the  ladies  re- 
ceived the  bows  and  adorations  of  the  gentlemen. 
Among  the  ladies  were  the  President's  two  daugh- 
ters, Mrs.  Randolph  and  Mrs.  Eppes,  to  whom  I 
paid  my  obeisance  ;  then  to  Mrs.  Madison  and  her 
sister  Miss  Payne  ;  then  to  Miss  Gallatin  and  Miss 
Nicholson,  besides  a  number  of  others.  Beaux 
growing  scarce  or  inattentive  towards  the  last,  I 
had  to  officiate  myself,  and  to  escort  several  of  the 
fair  creatures  in  succession  to  their  carriages.  Sev- 
eral belles  from  Virginia  and  elsewhere  were 
brought  out  on  this  gala  day,  and  it  was  allowed 
on  all  hands  that  the  company  made  a  brilliant 
appearance." 

This  New  York  gentleman,  who  so  gallantly 
accepted  the  role  of  squire  of  dames,  was  one  of 
the  most  learned  men  in  Congress.  So  varied  and 
accurate  was  Dr.  Mitchill's  knowledge,  that  Air. 
Jefferson  was  wont  to  call  him  "  the  Congressional 

ii8 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

Dictionary,"  while  his  associates  clubbed  him  "  the 
Stalking  Library."  On  one  occasion  Dr.  Mitchill 
was  put  upon  a  certain  committee  with  several  other 
gentlemen,  among  whom  was  Dr.  Dana,  of  Con- 
necticut, also  distinguished  for  learning.  Wishing 
to  confer  with  Dr.  Mitchill  personally  on  the  busi- 
ness of  the  committee,  Dr.  Dana  was  looking  for 
him  at  the  door  of  the  House,  when  he  met  Mr. 
Randolph.  "  I  am  looking,"  said  Dr.  Dana,  "  for 
our  '  Stalking  Library.'  "  "  Are  you  ?"  said  Mr. 
Randolph ;  "  I  just  heard  him  inquiring  for  his 
'  Index.'  " 

It  is  pleasant  to  read  of  these  grave  and  reverend 
legislators  indulging  in  quips  and  quirks  and  jests, 
after  the  fashion  of  lesser  mortals.  An  amusing 
instance  of  the  relaxing  of  judicial  dignity  is  to  be 
found  in  Josiah  Quincy's  reminiscences  of  Judge 
Story.  When  Mr.  Ouincy  was  about  to  accom- 
pany the  judge  to  Washington,  he  explained  that 
he  could  do  little  for  his  young  friend  socially,  as 
he  and  his  colleagues  took  no  part  in  the  society 
of  the  capital. 

"  We  dine  once  a  year  with  the  President,"  he 
said,  "  and  that  is  all.  On  other  days  we  take  our 
dinner  together,  and  discuss  at  table  the  questions 
which  are  argued  before  us.  We  are  great  ascet- 
ics, and  even  deny  ourselves  wine,  except  in  wet 
weather."  Here  the  judge  paused,  as  if  thinking 
that  the  act  of  mortification  he  had  mentioned 
119 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

placed  too  severe  a  tax  upon  human  credulity,  and 
presently  added  :  "  What  I  say  about  the  wine,  sir, 
gives  you  our  rule,  but  it  does  sometimes  happen 
that  the  Chief  Justice  will  say  to  me,  when  the 
cloth  is  removed,  '  Brother  Story,  step  to  the  win- 
dow and  see  if  it  does  not  look  like  rain.'  And  if 
I  tell  him  that  the  sun  is  shining  brightly,  Judge 
Marshall  will  sometimes  reply,  'AH  the  better  ;  for 
our  jurisdiction  extends  over  so  large  a  territory, 
that  the  doctrine  of  chances  makes  it  certain  that 
it  must  be  raining  somewhere.'  You  know  that 
the  Chief  was  brought  up  upon  Federalism  and 
Madeira,  and  he  is  not  the  man  to  outgrow  his 
early  prejudices." 

From  various  letters  of  the  time,  it  is  evident 
that  Mr.  Madison's  learned  associates  were  in  the 
habit  of  dropping  in  at  his  house  on  F  Street  in 
the  evening  for  a  sociable  hour  with  Mrs.  Madison 
and  her  friends.  Dr.  Mitchill  wrote  of  dining  at 
the  Secretary's,  in  a  large  company,  and  of  spend- 
ing an  evening  with  Mrs.  Madison  soon  after.  It 
was  at  Mr.  Gallatin's  that  the  New  York  Senator 
met  the  author  of  "  Common  Sense"  and  "  The 
Age  of  Reason  ;"  but  he  doubtless  found  a  wel- 
come in  Mrs.  Madison's  drawing-room,  for,  ob- 
jectionable as  Tom  Paine's  views  might  be  to 
this  good  lady,  the  rites  of  hospitality  were,  in 
her  opinion,  scarcely  second  to  those  of  religion. 
Here,  also,  was  to  be  met  the  poet  and  philoso- 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

pher  Joel  Barlow,  who  returned  to  America  in 
1805,  and  built  his  mansion,  Kalorama,  on  a 
natural  terrace  above  Rock  Creek,  not  far  from 
Twenty-first  Street.  Mr.  Barlow  welcomed  his  lit- 
erary and  ingenious  friends  to  his  beautiful  home, 
among  them  John  Howard  Payne  and  Robert 
Fulton,  who  is  said  to  have  launched  "  his  pro- 
phetic kettle"  on  Rock  Creek. 

Mrs.  Madison  was  upon  intimate  terms  with  the 
Barlows.  "Our  girls,"  wrote  Mr.  Barlow  from 
Paris,  "  will  write  you  all  about  courts  and  fashion 
and  finery,"  and,  truth  to  tell,  such  subjects  occu- 
pied many  pages,  until  Mrs.  Madison  was  forced 
to  turn  her  eyes  from  beholding  vanity  in  the 
form  of  Parisian  gowns,  laces,  and  gewgaws,  as  she 
confided  to  Mrs.  Barlow  that  the  enchanting  order 
she  had  just  filled  for  her  had  cost  two  thousand 
dollars  in  duties. 

Mrs.  Madison's  presence  in  Washington  seems 
to  have  been  quite  as  important  in  Mr.  Jefferson's 
administration  as  in  that  of  her  husband,  and 
numerous  letters  are  still  to  be  seen  in  which  the 
President  requested  her  and  her  sister  to  help  him 
"to  take  care  of  his  female  friends,"  as  he  expressed 
it.  These  notes  were  written  in  the  third  person,  not 
with  any  attempt  at  formality,  but  probably  because 
by  so  doing  Mr.  Jefferson  avoided  the  use  of  a  capi- 
tal for  the  first  person  singular,  which  he  very  much 
objected  to.     In  a  letter  addressed  to  Mayor  Cox, 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

of  Georgetown,  he  entered  into  a  long  dissertation 
upon  the  extreme  egotism  of  the  use  of  a  capital 
for  the  first  person  singular,  while  in  addressing 
another  person  the  you  or  your  employed  was 
spelled  with  a  small  letter.  In  the  President's 
most  informal  notes,  he  thus  adroitly  avoided  the 
use  of  the  objectionable  and  consequential  I : 

"  Thomas  Jefferson  was  much  disappointed  at 
breakfast  this  morning,  not  having  until  then 
known  of  the  departure  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madison 
and  Miss  Payne  ;  he  hopes  they  will  come  and 
dine  to-day  with  the  Miss  Butters,  who  were  as- 
sured they  would  meet  them  here,  and  to-morrow 
with  Mrs.  Gallatin  and  Mrs.  Mason.  Affection- 
ate salutations." 

The  years  when  Mr.  Madison  was  Secretary  of 
State  were  full  of  happiness  to  his  wife ;  more  so 
perhaps,  than  her  later  life  in  the  White  House, 
which  brought  with  it  more  care  and  responsi- 
bility. Mrs.  Madison's  younger  sister,  Anna,  was 
with  her  during  her  early  residence  in  Washington, 
bringing  to  her  house  the  charm  and  variety  of 
a  young  girl's  pleasures  and  interests,  including 
a  bevy  of  friends  with  their  attendant  cavaliers. 
Among  the  many  girls  who  were  to  be  met  at 
Mrs.  Madison's  were  Harriot  Stoddert,  Anne  Ran- 
dolph, and  lovely  Marcia  Burnes,  the  daughter 
of  old  Davey  Burnes,  whose  cottage  stood  until 
recent  years  on  Seventeenth  Street  near  E. 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

After  the  death  of  her  father,  Marcia  Burnes  had 
been  received  into  the  home  of  Luther  Martin,  in 
Baltimore,  and  there  educated  and  trained  with  his 
two  daughters.  Returning  to  Washington  a  beauty 
and  an  heiress,  she  soon  captivated  the  affections 
of  a  young  Congressman  from  New  York,  John 
P.  Van  Ness,  whom  she  married  in  1802.  Two 
years  later  Anna  Payne  married  Richard  D.  Cutts, 
and  Mrs.  Madison  had  the  satisfaction  of  a  bril- 
liant wedding,  dear  to  her  pleasure-loving  soul, 
and  the  pain  of  seeing  this  beloved  sister  depart  for 
the  District  of  Maine  with  her  husband. 

During  the  early  years  of  Mr.  Madison's  admin- 
istration, there  occurred  that  fatal  encounter  on  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson  which  deprived  the  nation  of 
one  of  its  ablest  and  most  devoted  sons.  Whatever 
may  have  been  the  failings  of  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton, his  most  severe  critic  has  never  been  able  to 
find  a  flaw  in  his  devotion  to  a  country  which 
owed  so  much  to  his  astute  statesmanship  and 
financial  skill.  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  was  opposed 
to  Mr.  Hamilton  in  politics,  had  a  warm  admira- 
tion for  his  ability,  and  upon  more  than  one  occa- 
sion made  use  of  his  popularity  to  bring  about 
measures  of  public  importance,  knowing  that 
Hamilton  was  a  man  who  was  ready  to  set  aside 
political  preferences  and  opportunities  of  personal 
advancement  for  the  good  of  his  country.  That 
this  great  man,  who  of  all  the  statesmen  of  his 
123 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

time  was  the  closest  friend  of  Washington,  should 
have  engaged  in  a  duel  with  an  adversary  as  devoid 
of  patriotism  as  he  was  of  principle,  incapable  of 
any  high  or  noble  sentiment,  is  one  of  the  sad- 
dest travesties  upon  the  so-called  code  of  honor  ex- 
isting among  gentlemen  at  that  period.  The  death 
of  Alexander  Hamilton  cast  a  gloom  over  the 
social  and  political  life  of  the  capital,  for  men  and 
women  realized  that  the  republic  had  lost  a  friend 
whose  place  would  not  soon  be  filled,  in  addition 
to  which  Hamilton  possessed  many  personal  traits 
of  the  most  endearing  nature.  No  more  fasci- 
nating character  is  to  be  found  in  the  public  life  of 
the  day,  with  the  exception  of  his  great  political 
opponent  Thomas  Jefferson,  than  the  large-brained, 
versatile  statesman  who  fell  mortally  wounded  by 
Aaron  Burr  on  a  July  day  in  1804. 

A  few  months  later  there  occurred  a  trial  in  Wash- 
ington that  was  of  so  much  general  interest  and  was 
attended  by  so  many  ladies  that  it  partook  of  the 
nature  ofa  social  event, — the  impeachment  of  Judge 
Chase,  of  Maryland.  This  trial  involved  a  question 
of  no  less  importance  than  whether  the  judicial  de- 
partment of  the  government  could  be  controlled 
and  manipulated  at  the  pleasure  of  the  other  de- 
partments. Upon  this  occasion  the  Senate  was 
presided  over  by  the  Vice-President,  Aaron  Burr, 
with  a  grace  and  fairness  that  won  universal  recog- 
nition, or,  as  an   opposition   newspaper  reported, 


JEFFERSONIAN    SIMPLICITY 

"  with  the  dignity  and  impartiaUty  of  an  angel,  but 
with  the  rigor  of  a  devil." 

"  With  the  love  of  dramatic  effect  which  char- 
acterized the  man,"  said  Mr.  Goddard,  "  the  Vice- 
President  had  the  Senate  Chamber  fitted  up  as  a 
court,  in  which  the  Senators  were  arranged  in  a 
semicircle  about  himself  as  centre,  with  the  ac- 
cused, his  counsel,  the  managers  of  the  impeach- 
ment, and  the  House  all  effectively  placed,  while 
extra  galleries,  draped  in  green  cloth,  were  pro- 
vided for  spectators,  with  handsome  boxes  for 
ladies,  for  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  members  of 
the  government.  The  Senators'  seats  were  draped 
in  crimson,  those  for  the  managers  and  counsel 
in  blue. 

"Among  the  Senators  sitting  in  judgment  on 
the  case  was  the  future  President,  John  Quincy 
Adams,  who  steadily  voted  in  favor  of  the  ac- 
cused, and  many  other  wearers  of  historic  names, 
such  as  Bayard  of  Delaware,  Breckenridge  of 
Kentucky,  Dayton  of  New  Jersey,  Giles  of  Vir- 
ginia, Tracey  of  Connecticut,  Pickering  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Sumter  of  South  Carolina. 
The  chief  manager  of  the  impeachment  on  the 
part  of  the  House  was  John  Randolph  of  Ro- 
anoke, then  but  thirty-one  years  of  age,  and 
already  the  leader  of  the  House,  yet  more  feared 
than  loved  for  his  sarcastic  eloquence.  Of  his  five 
associates,  Csesar  Rodney  of  Delaware  was  the 
125 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

most  notable.  Around  Judge  Chase,  who  was 
fully  able  to  plead  his  own  cause  yet  shrewd 
enough  to  draw  about  him  the  ablest  advocates  of 
his  day,  there  gathered  as  counsel  his  life-long 
friend  Martin,  Charles  Lee,  late  Attorney-General 
of  the  United  States,  and  Robert  Goodloe  Harper, 
who  had  just  ceased  to  be  the  Federal  leader  in  the 
House,  and  who  has  passed  into  history  as  one  of 
Maryland's  greatest  advocates." 

After  a  trial  which  lasted  four  weeks,  Judge 
Chase  was  acquitted,  chiefly,  it  is  said,  through  the 
indefatigable  energy  and  great  ability  of  his  coun- 
sel, Luther  Martin,  whom  Henry  Adams  describes 
as  "  the  rolicking,  witty,  audacious  Attorney-Gen- 
eral of  Maryland  ;  boon  companion  of  Chase  and 
the  whole  bar  ;  drunken,  generous,  slovenly,  grand  ; 
Bull-dog  of  Federalism,  as  Mr.  Jefferson  called 
him  ;  shouting  with  a  schoolboy's  fun  at  the  idea 
of  tearing  Randolph's  indictment  to  pieces,  and 
teaching  the  Virginia  Democrats  some  law, — the 
notorious  reprobate  genius  Luther  Martin."  The 
Maryland  lawyer's  success  in  this  affair,  and  his 
acknowledged  ability,  led  Aaron  Burr  to  retain  his 
services  in  an  even  more  dramatic  trial  that  took 
place  at  Richmond  two  years  later. 

The  intricacies  of  Aaron  Burr's  alleged  con- 
spiracy which  have  baffled  later  historians,  evi- 
dently vexed  the  legal  souls  of  his  contempora- 
ries. Burr's  acquittal  was  due  to  Judge  Marshall's 
126 


Luther  Martin 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

ruling  on  technical  grounds,  even  more  than  to 
Luther  Martin's  marvellous  pleading.  The  dra- 
matic, impassioned  presentation  by  William  Wirt 
of  the  cruel  treachery  of  Burr,  and  the  desolation 
of  the  peaceful  home  on  Blennerhassett  Island, 
with  its  opening  interrogatory,  "  Who  is  Blenner- 
hassett?" could  not  avail  against  the  vehement 
harangues  of  Martin  and  the  technical  ruling 
of  the  great  Chief  Justice,  who  decided  that 
"  the  assembling  and  enlisting  of  men  on  Blen- 
nerhasset's  Island  showed  no  overt  act ;  that 
even  if  it  did.  Burr's  agency  did  not  appear,  and 
that  the  overt  act  must  be  established  before  testi- 
mony as  to  Burr's  conduct  or  declarations  could 
be  admissible." 

Aaron  Burr  was  declared  innocent  in  the  eyes 
of  the  law,  although  he  left  the  court  covered  with 
the  opprobrium  which  still  clings  to  his  name. 
Those  who  read  to-day  the  touching  story  of  the 
Blennerhassetts  are  constrained  to  believe  that 
Harman  Blennerhassett  was  the  too  credulous  tool 
of  an  unscrupulous  intriguer. 

True  to  his  better  nature,  Luther  Martin  was 
faithful  to  his  clients,  and  at  the  price  of  his  popu- 
larity received  Burr  and  Blennerhassett  into  his 
own  home  in  Baltimore  as  guests.  This  created 
great  indignation  in  the  city,  and  handbills  were 
posted  about,  stating  that  "effigies  of  Chief  Justice 
Marshall,    of   Burr,  and   Lawyer   Brandy-Bottle" 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

would  be  hanged  on  Gallows  Hill  that  evening, — 
a  plan  which  was  carried  out,  the  police  only  pre- 
venting a  public  riot. 

In  the  recollections  of  John  Barney,  quoted  by 
Parton  in  his  life  of  Burr,  Mr.  Barney  stated  that 
he  was  present  at  a  dinner  given  in  Burr's  honor 
by  Martin  at  this  time.  During  the  dinner  Burr 
rose  from  the  table  and  went  to  the  window  to  bow 
to  a  passing  band,  which  he  supposed  had  come  to 
serenade  him,  but  when  he  discovered  that  the 
tune  was  "  The  Rogue's  March,"  the  windows  were 
quickly  closed. 

The  trial  of  Aaron  Burr  was  the  exciting  event 
of  the  year  1807,  to  be  followed  soon  by  another 
excitement,  the  question  who  should  be  the  next 
candidate  for  the  Presidency.  James  Madison  and 
James  Monroe,  the  latter  having  recently  returned 
from  France,  were  the  strongest  Federalist  candi- 
dates. In  spite  of  considerable  opposition  and 
strenuous  efforts  made  by  John  Randolph  and  other 
men  of  influence,  who  indulged  in  bitter  invective 
and  innuendo  against  what  they  were  pleased  to  call 
a  "  Yazoo  President,"  when  the  electoral  votes 
were  counted  in  Congress,  in  February,  1809,  It 
appeared  that  Dr.  Mitchill's  prophecy  was  to  be 
fulfilled,  and  that  Mrs.  Madison  would  be  "  mis- 
tress of  the  sumptuous  mansion  on  Palatine  Hill 
for  four  years." 

At  no  time  were  the  charming  personal  traits  of 
128 


JEFFERSONIAN   SIMPLICITY 

Jefferson  more  conspicuous  than  when  he  was 
about  to  leave  the  high  position  which  he  had 
held  for  eight  years.  Unlike  his  predecessor,  who 
left  Washington  abruptly,  as  if  to  avoid  the  dis- 
comfiture of  witnessing  the  inauguration  of  an- 
other President,  Mr.  Jefferson  seemed  determined 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  show  his  friendliness  to 
the  new  administration.  Never  had  he  appeared 
more  genial  and  witty  or  lighter  of  heart,  than  at 
Mrs.  Madison's  first  reception.  Full  of  jest  and 
repartee,  he  spread  about  him  an  atmosphere  of 
gaiety  and  good  fellowship.  As  the  ladies  pressed 
near  him,  a  friend  whispered,  jestingly,  "  You  see, 
they  will  follow  you."  "  That  is  as  it  should  be," 
answered  Jefferson,  "  since  I  am  too  old  to  follow 
them.  I  remember,"  he  added,  "  when  Dr.  Frank- 
lin's friends  were  taking  leave  of  him  in  France, 
the  ladies  almost  smothered  him  with  embraces. 
On  his  introducing  me  to  them  as  his  successor,  I 
told  them  that  among  the  rest  of  his  privileges,  I 
wished  he  would  transfer  this  one  to  me.  But  he 
answered,  'No,  no  ;  you  are  too  young  a  man.' " 
When  the  ex-President  had  finished,  a  young  lady 
who  stood  near  him  suggested  that  that  invidious 
bar  no  longer  existed.  What  response  he  made  is 
not  recorded ;  but  when  some  one  commented  on 
the  contrast  which  his  gaiety  presented  to  the  ex- 
hausted and  careworn  aspect  of  the  newly-in- 
stalled President,  Jefferson  responded,  "  Can  you 

9  129 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

wonder  at  it  ?  My  shoulders  have  just  been  freed 
from  a  heavy  burden,  his  just  laden  with  it." 
With  good  wishes  for  his  successor,  whose  sin- 
cerity none  could  doubt,  and  a  jest  upon  his  lips, 
this  great  statesman  disappeared  from  the  political 
life  of  the  capital.  Although,  as  Augustus  Foster 
and  even  less  friendly  writers  have  stated,  Mr. 
Jefferson  would  certainly  have  been  elected  a  third 
time  to  the  Presidential  office  had  he  chosen  to 
allow  himself  to  be  nominated,  he  cheerfully  turned 
his  face  towards  the  peaceful  shades  of  Monticello 
and  the  companionship  of  his  daughter  and  her 
family,  which  were  far  dearer  to  him  than  any 
honors  that  were  to  be  gained  in  political  life. 


130 


VI 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 

THE  inauguration  of  the  fourth  President  of 
the  United  States  was  celebrated  with  great 
rejoicings.  Salutes  of  cannon  from  the  Navy  Yard 
and  Fort  Warburton  ushered  in  the  day,  and  troops 
of  militia,  which  gathered  early  at  Georgetown  and 
Alexandria,  marched  to  Washington  to  escort  Mr. 
Madison  to  the  Capitol.  In  the  Hall  of  Repre- 
sentatives, where  were  gathered  members  of  Con- 
gress, judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  foreign  min- 
isters, and  a  large  concourse  of  ladies,  the  oath  of 
office  was  administered  to  the  new  President  by 
Chief  Justice  Marshall.  "  Mr.  Madison  appeared 
to  great  advantage,"  wrote  an  eye-witness  of  the 
scene,  "  the  excitement  of  the  occasion  lending 
color  to  his  pale,  student  face,  and  dignity  to  his 
slender  figure." 

At  a  ball  which  was  given  at  Davis's  Hotel  in 
the  evening — the  first  inaugural  ball  in  Wash- 
ington of  which  there  is  any  record — it  is  said  that 
"  upwards  of  four  hundred  persons  graced  the 
scene,  which  was  not  a  little  enlivened  by  the 
handsome  display  of  female  fashion  and  beauty." 

The  "  Lady  Presidentess,"  who  was  the  centre 
of  all  eyes,  was  resplendent  in  a  gown  of  yellow 
131 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

velvet,  her  neck  and  arms  hung  with  pearls,  and 
her  head  surmounted  by  a  Parisian  turban,  from 
which  nodded  a  bird-of-paradise  plume. 

From  the  incontrovertible  testimony  of  a  bill 
presented  to  Congress  in  May,  1809,  it  appears 
that  the  White  House  was  refurnished  at  this 
time,  "  splendidly,"  says  one  account,  which  state- 
ment is  to  be  accepted  with  reservations,  as  the 
sum  appropriated  for  the  work  was  the  modest 
one  of  five  thousand  dollars.  An  additional  thou- 
sand was  granted  Mr.  Latrobe  for  the  curtains, 
chairs,  and  sofas  of  the  drawing-room,  which  was 
upholstered  in  yellow  satin  damask,  the  sofas  being 
stiff  and  the  chairs  high-backed.  In  this  room, 
whose  walls  were  hung  with  mirrors  and  whose 
fireplace  was  ornamented  with  a  gorgeous  "  rising 
sun"  in  yellow  damask,  Mrs.  Madison  received  her 
own  friends,  her  husband's,  and  those  of  her  coun- 
try, men  and  women  of  all  sorts  and  conditions, 
with  a  delightful  impartiality  of  manner  that  was 
the  wonder  of  her  day  and  the  envy  of  her  suc- 
cessors. 

A  distinguished  group  of  statesmen  surrounded 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madison  at  this  time.  In  addition 
to  the  President's  official  family,  which  included 
the  Vice-President,  George  Clinton  of  New  York, 
William  Eustis  of  Massachusetts,  Paul  Hamilton 
of  South  Carolina,  William  Pinkney,  Gideon 
Granger,  Albert  Gallatin,  and  James  Monroe, 
132 


Mrs.  James  Madison 
Miniature  by  James  Peale 


Mrs.   Janie^  Monroe 
Miniature  bv  Sene,  Paris,   1794 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


there  was  the  great  Chief  Justice  John  Marshall, 
with  his  tall  figure  and  marvellous  deep-set  eyes, 
and  Henry  Clay  from  Mrs.  Madison's  own 
Hanover  County,  his  low,  resonant  voice  in  strong 
contrast  with  that  of  John  Randoph,  which  was 
high  pitched  and  sometimes  shrill.  Here  also  were 
Daniel  Webster  and  John  C.  Calhoun,  already 
showing  some  measure  of  the  ability  that  was  to 
make  them  great  leaders  in  later  days. 

Several  of  the  members  of  Mr.  Madison's  Cabinet 
had  served  in  that  of  his  predecessor,  as  the  Post- 
master-General, Gideon  Granger  of  Connecticut, 
and  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Albert  Gallatin, 
who  proved  that  to  be  born  in  Switzerland  was  no 
obstacle  to  being  a  good  American. 

Edward  Coles,  who  had  been  private  secretary 
to  Mr.  Jefferson,  retained  his  position  under  his 
successor  until  he  was  sent  by  Mr.  Madison  as 
special  ambassador  to  Russia.  Mr.  Coles,  one  of 
Mrs.  Madison's  numerous  Virginia  cousins,  was  a 
man  of  much  more  than  ordinary  ability  and 
breadth  of  view.  After  his  return  from  Russia, 
being  conscientiously  opposed  to  slavery,  Mr.  Coles 
removed  to  Illinois  and  there  freed  the  large  num- 
ber of  slaves  that  he  had  inherited  from  his  father, 
giving  each  head  of  a  family  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land.  He  was  afterwards  elected  governor 
of  Illinois  and  thus  prevented  the  pro-slavery  fac- 
tion in  that  State  from  gaining  control.     Edward 

^33 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Coles  passed  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  helped  to  found  the  Republican 
party. 

Mr.  Monroe  had  recently  returned  from  abroad, 
where,  in  conjunction  with  Robert  R.  Livingston, 
he  had  successfully  negotiated  the  purchase  of 
Louisiana.  This  vast  acquisition  of  territory, 
which  is  one  of  the  glories  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  ad- 
ministration, cost  the  United  States  sixty  millions 
of  francs  and  some  additional  millions  in  the  satis- 
fying of  claims.*  It  is  said  that  Bonaparte  was 
so  well  satisfied  with  the  transaction  that  he  gave 
his  agent,  M.  Marbois,  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  thousand  francs  of  the  proceeds,  with  the 
remark  that  sixty  millions  was  a  pretty  good 
price  for  a  province  of  which  he  had  not  taken 
possession,  and  might  not  be  able  to  retain  twenty- 
four  hours,  adding,  "  This  accession  of  territory 
strengthens  forever  the  power  of  the  United  States, 
and  I  have  just  given  England  a  maritime  rival 
that  will  sooner  or  later  humble  her  pride." 

Under  Mr.  Madison's  administration,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe occupied  the  responsible  position  of  Secretary 

*  The  French  spoliation  claims  were  estimated,  at  the  time  of 
the  purchase,  to  amovmt  to  three  million  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  which  made  the  whole  cost  of  this  vast  tract  of 
land,  including  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi  and  many  of  the 
Northern  and  Western  States,  amount  to  about  fifteen  milhon 
dollars. 

134 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


of  State.  He  is  described  as  tall  of  figure  and 
dressed  in  the  old  style,  with  small-clothes,  silk 
hose,  knee-buckles,  and  pumps  ;  indeed,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe adhered  to  this  costume  so  long  as  to  earn  for 
himself  the  sobriquet  of  "the  last  cocked  hat." 
His  face,  which  was  not  strikingly  handsome, 
was  illumined  by  eyes  so  clear  and  straightfor- 
ward that  they  seemed  to  justify  Mr.  Jefferson's 
remark  that  Monroe  was  so  honest  that  if  you 
turned  his  soul  inside  out  there  would  not  be  a 
spot  or  speck  found  on  it. 

Mrs.  Monroe,  who,  as  Elizabeth  Kortright,  had 
been  a  belle  and  beauty  in  her  own  city.  New  York,' 
is  spoken  of  as  graceful  and  distinguished  as  well 
as  beautiful.  She  and  her  daughters,  having  lately 
returned  from  abroad,  were  regarded  with  great  in- 
terest by  Washington  women,  as  exponents  of  the 
latest  fancies  of  the  fickle,  arbitrary  Parisian  world. 
Nor  did  the  women  of  the  period  alone  occupy 
themselves  with  the  prevailing  modes.  Mr. 
Robert  Goodloe  Harper  is  said  to  have  appeared 
in  great  splendor  at  the  inauguration  ball,  his 
clothes  cut  after  the  latest  fashion,  "  perfumed  like 
a  milliner,  with  a  large  knot  of  black  ribbon  on 
each  shoe."  A  distinguished  Virginia  jurist  who 
visited  the  Monroes  soon  after  their  arrival  in 
Washington  was  so  captivated  by  the  costume  of 
little  Maria  Monroe  that  he  thus  recommended  it 
to  his  daughter : 

135 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

** .  .  .  Your  mama  has  refer' d  you  to  me  for  an  account  of 
little  Maria  Monroe,  who  is  I  believe  a  few  months  older  than 
our  darhng  Fancilea.  She  was  dress' d  in  a  short  frock,  that 
reach' d  about  half  way  between  her  knees  and  ancles — under 
which  she  display' d  a  pair  of  loose  pantaloons,  wide  enough  for 
the  foot  to  pass  through  with  ease,  frill' d  round  with  the  same 
stuff  as  her  frock  and  pantaloons.  I  was  so  pleased  with  it,  and 
so  persuaded  you  would  immediately  adopt  it  for  Fancilea  and 
Lisba  that  I  took  more  than  ordinary  notice  of  it.  The  little 
monkey  did  not  fail  to  evince  the  advantages  of  her  dress.  She 
had  a  small  Spaniel  dog  with  whom  she  was  continually  engaged 
in  a  trial  of  skill — and  the  general  opinion  seemed  to  be  that  she 
turned  and  twisted  about  more  than  the  Spaniel.  ...  I  must 
recommend  her  dress  for  my  dear  Brats."* 

With  Mr.  Madison's  administration  there  was  a 
marked  restoration  of  form  and  ceremony  in  the 
Executive  Mansion,  a  return  to  the  dignity  and 
propriety  of  the  days  of  Washington  and  Adams, 
yet  what  most  impressed  those  who  were  received 
in  the  White  House  by  Mrs.  Madison  was  not 
the  statehness  of  the  ceremony,  but  the  easy  grace 
and  warm-hearted  Virginia  hospitaHty  that  char- 
acterized her  drawing-rooms  and  dinners. 

Visitors  to  the  capital  then,  as  in  our  own  day, 
were  expected  to  leave  their  cards  at  the  White 
House.     In  one  of  her  letters  to  a  friend  in  another 

*  Extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Judge  St.  George  Tucker,  of 
WilHamsburg,  Virginia,  to  his  daughter,  Anne  Frances   Bland, 
wife  of  Judge  Coalter,  of  the  High  Court  of  Appeals  of  Virginia, 
dated  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  December  i8,  1807. 
136 


A   QUEEN   OF   HEARTS 


city  Mrs.  Madison  expressed  lively  regret  that 
some  of  her  Philadelphia  acquaintances  had  not  left 
their  cards,  as  she  wished  to  invite  them  to  dinner, 
and  had  no  idea  where  they  were  stopping,  having 
sent  to  several  of  the  "  principal  taverns"  to  try 
to  find  them. 

No  friend  or  acquaintance  of  Mrs.  Madison's 
who  came  to  Washington  was  neglected.  Old 
and  young,  gentle  and  simple,  Quaker  and  world- 
ling, were  bidden  to  the  White  House,  and  made 
welcome  there.  This  hospitable  lady's  great- 
nieces  take  pleasure  in  telling  how  a  Friend  from 
Philadelphia,  who  was  dining  with  the  President, 
paid  back  the  raillery  of  the  gay  hostess  in  her  own 
coin.  As  Mrs,  Madison,  looking  very  handsome 
in  an  evening  gown  that  displayed  her  plump 
shoulders  to  great  advantage,  took  her  seat  at 
table,  she  raised  her  wineglass  to  her  lips,  and 
bowing  to  her  guest,  said,  gayly,  "  Here's  to  thy 
absent  broadbrim.  Friend  Hallowell,"  to  which  the 
Quaker,  nothing  daunted,  said,  returning  the  bow 
of  his  hostess,  "  And  here's  to  thy  absent  kerchief. 
Friend  Dorothy  I"  How  Mrs.  Madison  and  her 
sisters  must  have  laughed  over  this  clever  re- 
joinder ! — those  "  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor,"  as 
Washington  Irving  was  wont  to  call  them. 

Numerous  stories  are  told  of  Mrs.  Madison's 
quick-wittedness  and  ready  tact,  which  smoothed 
the  path  of  many  a  shy  or  awkward  stranger, 
137 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

unaccustomed  to  the  social  ways  of  cities  or  the 
usages  of  diplomatic  circles.  One  of  the  most 
amusing  of  these  is  the  tale  of  a  country  lad  at  a 
White  House  reception,  who  was  surprised  in  the 
midst  of  his  enjoyment  of  a  cup  of  coffee  by  the 
approach  of  his  hostess.  In  his  confusion,  it  is  said 
that  the  poor  boy  dropped  his  saucer  and  thrust  the 
cup  into  his  pocket.  Mistress  Dolly,  who,  though 
her  eyes  were  keen  and  searching,  never  saw  any- 
thing that  she  was  not  intended  to  see,  chatted  away 
so  pleasantly  of  the  weather,  the  crowd,  and,  finally, 
of  the  young  man's  mother,  whom  she  had  known 
or  heard  of,  that  he  recovered  from  his  embarrass- 
ment, and  was  soon  at  ease  and  ready  to  accept 
the  fresh  cup  of  coffee  that  his  hostess  ordered, 
despite  a  certain  curious  and  unexplained  bulge  in 
his  pocket. 

Mr.  William  C.  Preston  recorded  in  his  journal 
a  somewhat  similar  experience  when  he  went  to 
the  White  House  as  a  young  man  to  pay  his  re- 
spects to  the  President  and  Mrs.  Madison.  When 
he  entered  the  drawing-room,  which  was  brilliant 
with  uniforms  and  gay  toilettes,  overwhelmed  with 
embarrassment,  he  would  gladly  have  retreated  from 
the  unaccustomed  scene,  but  Mrs.  Madison  had  ob- 
served him,  and  advanced  towards  him,  magnificent 
in  high  turban  and  stiff  brocade,  her  snuff-box  in 
one  hand,  the  other  extended  cordially  towards  her 
young  guest,  with  the  question,  "Are  you  William 
138 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


Campbell  Preston,  the  son  of  my  old  friend  and 
most  beloved  kinswoman,  Sally  Campbell  ?  Sit 
down,  my  son,  for  you  are  my  son,  and  I  am  the 
first  person  who  ever  saw  you  in  this  world." 
Turning  then  with  a  graciousness  which  charmed 
the  young  man,  she  introduced  him  to  the  circle 
of  young  girls  about  her,  giving  some  special  clue 
to  each,  and  ending  with  "  your  kinswoman,  Sally 
Coles." 

The  tales  that  have  come  down  from  that  dim 
past  are  simple  and  homely,  only  worthy  to  be 
recorded  because  they  prove  once  more  that  what- 
ever may  have  been  this  woman's  beauty  or  grace, 
the  secret  of  her  success  was  to  be  found  in  the 
quickness  of  her  perceptions  and  the  warmth  of 
her  heart.  These  qualities,  with  a  certain  enthusi- 
asm that  she  brought  to  her  social  duties,  created 
an  atmosphere  of  homelike  comfort  and  enjoyment 
wherever  she  appeared. 

The  Sally  Coles  to  whom  Mrs.  Madison  pre- 
sented young  Preston  was  the  daughter  of  Colonel 
John  Coles  of  Enniscorthy,  one  of  her  near  rela- 
tives. It  is  related  of  Colonel  Coles,  who  was  a 
genial,  horse-loving,  hospitable  Virginia  gentleman 
of  the  old  school,  that  in  recounting  his  blessings 
he  would  speak  with  pride  of  the  ability  of  his 
sons,  adding,  like  the  French  poet  Martial,  that 
he  was  glad  his  daughters  were  not  too  learned. 
Colonel  Coles's  felicitations  are  rather  amusing,  in 
139 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

view  of  the  fact  that  these  daughters,  whether 
learned  or  not  according  to  the  code  of  their  day, 
proved  themselves  capable  of  filling  with  grace 
and  distinction  prominent  positions  in  social  and 
diplomatic  circles. 

Eliza  Coles  married  Colonel  Richard  Singleton, 
of  South  Carolina,  Emily  married  Governor  Ruth- 
erford, of  Virginia,  while  Sally,  Mrs.  Madison's 
favorite,  became  the  wife  of  Andrew  Stevenson, 
who  was  afterwards  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  minister  to  England  under 
President  Van  Buren. 

Another  of  Mrs.  Madison's  numerous  Virginia 
cousins  was  Colonel  Isaac  Coles,  of  Halifax 
County.  Colonel  Coles  was  elected  a  delegate  to 
the  First  Congress,  and  again  represented  his  State 
from  1793  to  1797. 

While  in  New  York,  attending  the  sessions  of 
Congress,  Colonel  Coles  met  Miss  Catherine 
Thompson,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  James  Thompson 
and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Elbridge  Gerry.  Bishop 
Meade  recorded  that  Colonel  Coles  and  Miss 
Thompson  were  married  by  Bishop  Provoost  in 
1790.  When  his  services  in  Congress  were  con- 
cluded, Colonel  Coles  took  his  young  wife  to  his 
large  estates  in  Halifax  and  Pittsylvania  counties. 
He  held  no  official  position  in  the  new  capital, 
but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Coles 
sometimes  visited  their  Cousin  Dolly  in  the  White 
140 


A  QUEEN   OF   HEARTS 


House,  as  both  were  well-fitted  to  enjoy  social  life. 
Colonel  Coles  has  been  described  as  a  man  of 
agreeable,  courtly  manners  and  a  delightful  racon- 
teur. Mrs.  Coles,  who  had  been  a  belle  and  a 
beauty,  accustomed  to  a  large  and  gay  circle  of 
friends  in  New  York  and  to  the  society  of  the  most 
cultivated  and  refined  men  and  women  of  the  day 
during  her  residence  in  Philadelphia,  must  have 
found  her  life  in  a  sparsely-settled  district  in  strange 
contrast  with  her  previous  surroundings.  To  these 
new  conditions  this  young  woman  adapted  herself 
with  spirit  and  enthusiasm.  In  addition  to  the 
cares  of  her  large  family  and  the  duties  which  in 
those  days  devolved  upon  the  mistress  of  a  planta- 
tion, Mrs.  Coles  assisted  Bishop  Meade  to  establish 
an  Episcopal  Church,  the  first  in  Halifax  County. 
The  services  were,  said  the  bishop,  often  held  in 
Mrs.  Coles's  house. 

It  is  evident  that  Sally  Coles  was  a  frequent 
visitor  at  the  White  House,  as  there  are  many 
references  to  her  in  Mrs.  Madison's  letters.  In 
one  of  these  the  hospitable  lady  speaks  of  a  pros- 
pective visit  from  another  Virginia  belle,  Miss 
Maria  Mayo,  of  Richmond,  whom  Mrs.  Madison 
considers  even  more  beautiful  than  Miss  Caton 
from  Baltimore,  although  the  latter  exceeds  her  in 
grace.  The  races  and  drawing-room  will,  she 
hopes,  afford  amusement  for  her  young  guest,  in 
addition  to  which  she  says  that  "the  French 
141 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Minister  is  paving  his  road  and  intends  to  frolick 
continnually^  and  Miss  Hay  is  to  be  in  the  city  soon, 
as  well  as  Madame  Bonaparte  and  a  multitude  of* 
Beauties." 

The  White  House  seemed  always  to  have  been 
full  to  overflowing.  Mrs.  Madison's  sister  Lucy, 
the  widow  of  George  Steptoe  Washington,  was 
living  with  her,  and  Mrs.  Richard  D.  Cutts,  whose 
husband  represented  Maine  in  the  House,  was 
often  in  Washington,  in  addition  to  which  there 
were  cousins  and  friends  innumerable,  and  of 
political  adherents  an  ample  contingent. 

During  Mrs.  Madison's  residence  in  Philadel- 
phia, before  and  after  her  marriage,  and  during 
some  weeks  spent  in  the  Quaker  City  in  1805,  for 
the  purpose  of  being  under  the  professional  care 
of  the  distinguished  Dr.  Physick,  she  made  many 
life-long  friends,  among  whom  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Anthony  Morris.  Some  of  Mrs.  Madison's  most 
charming  letters  were  written  to  Phoebe  Morris, 
the  daughter  of  these  old  friends,  and  abound  in 
expressions  of  affection  for  her  and  her  family. 

In  one  of  her  letters  to  Phoebe  Morris,  the 
lady  of  the  White  House,  then  just  over  forty 
and  in  the  full  possession  of  charms  that  were 
destined  to  win  many  hearts,  wrote  thus  mod- 
estly of  her  appearance :  "  You  will  accept,  my 
beloved  Phoebe,  the  inclosed  resemblance  of  your 
*  Parent's  friend,'  that  tender  friend  who  loves  and 
142 


^   J-.  ■«■  -^  it|||„p^,^n.>.  A^J^^i,^,  T   IT   1-   'II.ITI-T wmilin  WKtHkitt0    j 


Mrs.  Richard  D.  Cutts 
Bv  Gilbert  Stuart 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


admires  you  I — I  should  have  sent  you  a  Picture 
long  'ere  this,  but  those  in  my  possession  were  too 
young,  and  I  waited  to  procure  my  present  self." 

It  does  not  appear  from  Mrs.  Madison's  letter 
what  portrait  of  herself  she  sent  to  Phoebe  Morris. 
It  was  probably  a  replica  of  a  miniature,  with 
roses  in  the  turban,  which  James  Peale  is  said  to 
have  painted  in  the  White  House,  Another  minia- 
ture of  a  sweet,  girlish  face,  surmounted  by  a  de- 
mure cap,  was  painted  in  Philadelphia  by  James 
Peale  when  Mrs.  Madison  was  Mistress  Todd. 

Gilbert  Stuart  was  in  Georgetown  while  Mr. 
Madison  was  Secretary  of  State,  and  at  this  time 
painted  a  portrait  of  Mrs.  Madison  and  a  com- 
panion picture  of  her  husband.  Among  numerous 
other  portraits  executed  by  Stuart  were  those  of 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  John  Tayloe  of  the  Octagon,  and 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  D.  Cutts.  In  the  back- 
ground of  this  latter  portrait,  for  which  Mrs.  Cutts 
sat  a  short  time  before  her  marriage,  is  to  be  found 
an  exaggerated  outline  of  the  artist's  own  features. 
The  story  runs,  that  while  Anna  Payne's  por- 
trait was  being  painted  that  lively  young  woman 
entered  into  an  animated  discussion  with  the  artist 
as  to  which  feature  of  the  face  is  the  most  ex- 
pressive. Mr.  Stuart  gave  his  verdict  in  favor  of 
the  nose,  while  Miss  Payne  contended  for  the  su- 
perior claims  of  the  eyes  and  mouth.  Stuart, 
who  greatly  relished  a  joke,  even  at  his  own 
143 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

expense,  presented  to  his  sitter  the  next  morning  a 
canvas  upon  which  his  own  profile,  the  long  nose 
somewhat  exaggerated,  occupied  the  place  of  the 
usual  drapery  in  the  background,  inquiring,  with 
a  triumphant  smile,  whether  he  had  not  proved  to 
her  satisfaction  that  the  nose  was  the  most  ex- 
pressive feature  of  the  face.  Although  the  laugh 
was  against  her.  Miss  Payne  was  so  much  pleased 
to  have  secured  a  profile  of  her  old  friend,  that  she 
insisted  that  the  very  odd  background  should  re- 
main a  part  of  the  portrait. 

Early  in  the  year  of  1812,  a  year  destined  to  be 
an  eventful  one  to  the  citizens  of  Washington,  as 
well  as  to  the  whole  country,  Phoebe  Morris  and 
her  brother  visited  Mrs.  Madison.  To  her  sister 
Rebecca,  in  Philadelphia,  the  young  guest  wrote : 

"  The  President  and  Mrs.  Madison  expected  me  before  the 
first  of  January,  and  were  extremely  sorry  that  we  did  not  arrive 
by  that  time,  as  it  was  a  great  day  there.  The  House  was 
crowded  with  company  from  top  to  bottom,  the  chambers  and 
every  room  was  occupied  with  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  and  all 
descriptions  of  persons.  I  have  a  dear  little  room  with  an  alcove 
Bed  which  adjoins  Mrs.  Washington's.  The  chamber  I  occu- 
pied last  year  was  too  large  and  too  cold  for  me,  Mrs.  Madison 
said,  but  she  has  given  it  to  Brother.  He  seems  very  well  con- 
tented and  went  with  me  yesterday  to  see  Mrs.  Gallatin.  To- 
day he  has  set  off  with  Mr.  Payne  on  horseback  to  ride  over 
the  city  and  visit  the  Patent  Office.  Yesterday  we  had  a  crowd 
of  morning  visitors.  Miss  Caton,  Mrs.  Van  Ness,  the  Miss 
Worthingtons  and  a  number  of  others  whose  names  I  cannot 
144 


A   QUEEN   OF   HEARTS 


recollect.      Maria    Ringgold  is  here,   but  I  have  not  seen  her, 
she  is  in  deep  mourning  and  scarcely  goes  out  at  all." 

The  Maria  Ringgold  of  whom  Miss  Morris 
wrote  was  a  daughter  of  Maria  Cadwalader,  of 
Philadelphia,  who  married  Mr.  Samuel  Ringgold, 
of  Fountain  Rock,  Maryland,  and  consequently  a 
niece  of  Mrs.  Erskine,  wife  of  the  British  minis- 
ter. Maryland  women  of  that  day,  as  of  a  later 
time,  were  celebrated  for  their  beauty  and  charm, 
and  as  Baltimore  and  the  country-seats  surround- 
ing it  were  within  two  days'  staging  distance  of 
Washington,  many  of  the  belles  of  the  gay  little 
city  spent  the  winter  months  in  the  capital. 

In  the  famous  constellation  of  beauties  of  which 
Elizabeth  Patterson,  who  married  Jerome  Bona- 
parte, was  the  "  bright  particular  star,"  were  her 
lovely  sisters-in-law,  Mary  Ann  Caton,  Charlotte 
Nicols,  and  Anne  Gittings,  the  last  named  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  James  Gittings,  whose  good 
farming  had  excited  the  admiration  of  Richard 
Parkinson.  Another  charming  woman  who  be- 
longed to  this  family  connection  was  Polly  Sterett, 
a  daughter  of  John  Sterett  and  Deborah  Ridgely, 
of  Hampton.  Miss  Polly,  a  belle  and  a  beauty  in 
her  own  city,  extended  her  conquests  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  she  visited  her  uncle  Samuel  Sterett, 
who  was  a  delegate  to  Congress  during  the  Wash- 
ington administration.  Here  she  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  the  President,  who  was  a  friend  of  her 
145 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

uncle,  and  the  honor  of  being  led  out  to  dance  by 
him  at  one  of  the  Philadelphia  balls.  From  the 
scene  of  her  joys  and  triumphs,  of  which  tradi- 
tions have  floated  down  to  her  Baltimore  descend- 
ants of  to-day,  Miss  Sterett  returned  home  to 
marry  Mr.  Richard  Gittings  and  to  live  with  him 
at  Berry  Hill,  which  was  his  portion  of  the  ex- 
tensive Long  Green  estate  in  Baltimore  County. 
Mrs.  Gittings  doubtless  visited  Washington  after 
her  marriage  and  enjoyed  its  social  attractions, 
but  the  scene  of  her  youthful  triumphs  was  the 
older  capital  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware. 

In  one  of  her  letters  little  Miss  Morris  speaks 
of  another  Baltimore  beauty.  Miss  Hay,  as  sharing 
the  honors  of  belledom  with  Miss  Caton  and 
Madame  Bonaparte.  These  three  are,  she  hears, 
the  greatest  belles  in  Washington.  At  this  time 
Phoebe  Morris  says  that  she  has  not  yet  seen 
Madame  Bonaparte,  as  she  was  suffering  from  an 
attack  of  rheumatism  brought  on,  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton said,  by  an  imprudent  display  of  her  beautiful 
shoulders,  the  expression  of  the  good  dame's 
opinion  being  given  in  much  more  vigorous 
Saxon  than  would  be  considered  polite  in  our 
day. 

In    a    letter    dated    February    17,    1812,    Miss 
Morris  gave  her  impressions  of  the  famous  Balti- 
more beauty  who  had  captured  the  unstable  affec- 
tions of  Jerome  Bonaparte : 
146 


1      • 


Mrs,  Samuel  Ringgold 
(Maria  Cadwalader) 


I 


Mrs.   Moses  Poor 

Bv  Edward  Greene  Malbone 

Page  230 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


**  How  I  wish  you  could  see  Madame  Bonaparte  in  all  the 
splendor  of  dress,  and  all  the  attractions  of  beauty.  I  think  I 
never  beheld  a  human  form  so  faultless.  To  the  utmost  sym- 
metry of  features  is  added  so  much  vivacity,  such  captivating 
sweetness  !  and  her  sylphic  form  *  thinly  veiled'  displays  all  the 
graces  of  a  Venus  de  Medicis.  She  appears  particularly  lovely 
in  a  fine  crepe  robe  of  a  beautifiil  azure  colour  interwoven  with 
silver,  in  this  attire  she  is  truly  celestial,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
look  on  any  one  else  when  she  is  present." 

It  is  not  strange  that  this  Quaker  girl,  who  had 
seen  Httle  of  the  gay  world,  should  have  been 
dazzled  by  the  charms  of  this  woman,  who  ex- 
cited admiration  wherever  she  appeared  and  drew 
from  Madame  Recamier  the  compliment  "  Fous 
etes  la  plus  belle  femme  au  monde,  plus  belle  meme  que 
la  parfaite  Pauline  Borghese." 

'■''Mais  ga  est  bien^  impossible"  was  the  clever 
reply,  "  vue  que  ma  belle  sceur  est  parfaitement  belle.'' 

Witty,  wise,  and  diplomatic,  as  well  as  beautiful, 
was  this  young  woman,  whom  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon refused  to  meet,  perhaps  because  he  feared 
that  his  resolution  might  yield  to  the  influence  of 
a  charm  that  few  could  resist.  Some  grim  amuse- 
ment he  may  have  extracted  from  the  mot  attrib- 
uted to  Madame  Bonaparte,  who,  when  asked  by 
Emil  de  Girardiii  for  her  true  estimate  of  Jerome 
Bonaparte,  replied,  with  generous  appreciation  of 
the  Emperor  and  withering  scorn  for  her  faithless 
spouse,  "CVj/  un  Hard  qui  s'est  glisse  par  hazard 
entre  deux  Napoleons." 

147 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

It  was  this  brilliant  and  spirited  woman  that  the 
Emperor  proposed  to  dispose  of,  after  King  Jer- 
ome's alliance  with  the  Princess  of  Wurtemburg, 
by  marrying  her  to  General  Turreau.  Turreau  was 
afterwards  imprisoned,  and  being  released  by  his 
jailor's  daughter,  married  her.  If  lively,  his  grati- 
tude was  of  short  duration,  as  he  treated  his  wife 
so  brutally  while  living  in  Georgetown  as  French 
minister  that  his  atrocities  and  the  poor  woman's 
cries  were  the  scandal  of  the  neighborhood. 

Only  less  beautiful  than  Madame  Bonaparte  was 
Mary  Ann  Caton,  who  married  her  brother,  Robert 
Patterson,  and  when  a  widow  in  1825  became  the 
wife  of  the  Marquess  of  Wellesley,  then  Viceroy 
of  Ireland. 

Richard  Lalor  Shiel  waxed  eloquent  over  the 
mature  charms  of  the  American  beauty  as  she  ap- 
peared at  a  tabinet  ball  in  Dublin,  in  a  gown  of 
white  tabinet  crossed  with  a  garland  of  flowers. 
After  likening  Lady  Wellesley  in  turn  to  Pomona 
and  to  Byron's  "  Lady  Adeline  Amundeville,"  he 
added,  with  admirable  condescension :  "  Nobody 
would  have  suspected  that  she  had  not  originally 
belonged  to  the  proud  aristocracy  to  which  she 
had  been  recently  annexed.  She  had  nothing  of 
la  bourgeoise  parvenue.  She  executed  her  courtesies 
with  a  remarkable  gracefulness,  and  her  stateliness 
sat  as  naturally  upon  her  as  though  she  inherited 
it  by  royal  descent." 


A   QUEEN   OF   HEARTS 


Mr.  Benjamin  Ogle  Tayloe,  while  abroad  with 
the  Honorable  Richard  Rush  on  a  diplomatic  mis- 
sion in  1818,  says  that,  as  an  American,  he  was 
gratified  by  the  admiration  excited  by  the  three 
Caton  sisters  at  a  ball  given  by  the  allied  sovereigns 
of  Europe  at  Aix-la-Chapelle.  This  entertainment, 
which  was  held  at  the  close  of  a  congress  convened 
after  the  final  defeat  of  Napoleon  to  dehberate 
upon  the  withdrawal  of  the  army  of  occupation 
from  France,  was  attended  by  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  other  great  sov- 
ereigns, with  their  families.  Here  were  Welling- 
ton and  other  generals  of  the  army  of  the  allies, 
and  such  masters  of  diplomacy  as  Metternich, 
Nesselrode,  Hardenberg,  BernstorfF,  Castlereagh, 
Richelieu,  and  Capo  d'Istria.  In  this  brilliant 
and  distinguished  company,  and  "  amid  the  ex- 
traordinary constellation  of  European  beauty  there 
assembled,"  Mr.  Tayloe  noticed,  with  pride,  that 
his  "  beautiful  countrywomen,  Mrs.  Patterson, 
Lady  Hervey,  and  Miss  Caton  of  Maryland, 
attracted  universal  admiration  and  received  marked 
attention  from  the  Emperor  Alexander." 

The  Miss  Caton  who  called  upon  Miss  Morris 
at  the  White  House  was  probably  Louisa  Caton, 
who  married  Colonel  Sir  Felton  Hervey,  and  after 
his  death  became  the  wife  of  the  Marquess  of  Caer- 
marthen,  afterwards  Duke  of  Leeds. 

Miss  Morris's  letters  are  all  filled  with  clever 
149 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

descriptions  of  the  persons  whom  she  met  and 
the  entertainments  she  attended.  Among  the 
latter  were  dinners  at  the  houses  of  Dr.  Charles 
Worthington,  General  Van  Ness,  and  other  hos- 
pitable Washingtonians. 

The  handsome  mansion  which  General  Van  Ness 
built  soon  after  his  marriage  with  Marcia  Burnes  is 
still  standing  southwest  of  the  White  House,  near 
the  Potomac  flats  which  Tom  Moore  so  bitterly- 
anathematized.  This  house,  for  which  Mr.  Latrobe 
drew  the  plans  and  which  cost  over  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars,  was  for  many  years  considered  the 
finest  dwelling  in  Washington,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Octagon.  The  glories  of  the  White  House, 
even  with  its  new  furniture,  mirrors,  and  "  rising 
suns,"  paled  before  those  of  the  Van  Ness  man- 
sion, with  its  Italian  marble  mantels,  handsome 
carvings,  spacious  drawing-rooms,  and  numerous 
guest-chambers. 

Men  and  women  of  the  older  generation  still 
recall  the  grandeur  and  elegance  of  this  house 
in  which  Phoebe  Morris  dined  in  company  with 
the  President  and  Mrs.  Madison,  and  describe  the 
liveries  of  the  fine  coach-and-four  in  which  the 
General  and  Mrs.  Van  Ness  were  wont  to  drive 
through  Washington  and  Georgetown.  With 
drawing-rooms  and  dinners  at  the  White  House, 
and  dancing  assemblies,  balls,  and  visits  elsewhere, 
Miss  Morris  says  that  her  head  is  almost  turned. 
150 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


This  statement  is,  however,  entirely  disproved 
upon  another  page  of  her  sprightly  letter  by  the 
writer's  discriminating  remarks  upon  Captain 
Chauncey  and  Dr.  Bullus,  "  two  gentlemen  of 
the  navy,"  the  Misses  Mason,  and  other  men  and 
women  whom  she  met.  Miss  Morris  was  under 
the  protection  of  the  Honorable  Richard  Rush  on 
her  journey  from  Baltimore  to  Washington,  whom 
she  characterized  as  one  of  the  "  most  charming, 
polite,  agreeable  men  she  had  ever  met,"  while  Mr. 
Augustus  Foster,  Secretary  to  the  British  Legation, 
who  called  upon  her  at  the  White  House,  she 
considered  "  rather  an  agreeable  than  a  handsome 
man,  of  very  pleasing  conversation  and  great 
politeness." 

Little  Miss  Morris  was  not  the  only  person  who 
was  influenced  by  the  charm  and  elegance  of  Mr. 
Rush's  manners  and  appearance.  Mr.  Benjamin 
Ogle  Tayloe  related  that  upon  his  presentation  as 
American  minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  "  the 
Prince  Regent  exclaimed  with  astonishment,  upon 
learning  that  this  was  Mr.  Rush's  first  visit  to  Eng- 
land, '  Never  before  in  Europe  I'  as  much  as  to 
say,  where  did  he  get  his  good  manners  ?" 

In  one  of  her  letters  Phoebe  Morris  gave  a  de- 
scription of  John  Randolph,  which  accounts  for 
the  youthful  charm  of  the  Stuart  portrait,  painted 
when  Randolph  was  over  thirty,  and  also  for  the 
expression,  "  the  young,  old  face  of  Randolph,"  so 
151 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

often  used  in  describing  him.  "  His  appearance 
is  eccentric  in  the  extreme,"  wrote  Miss  Morris  to 
her  father.  "  At  a  distance  you  would  almost  sup- 
pose him  to  be  a  youth  of  not  more  than  sixteen, 
though  I  am  told  at  a  nearer  view  he  appears  quite 
old.  His  hair  is  long  and  simply  confined  by  a 
ribbon,  not  in  the  style  of  a  queue,  but  as  you  wear 
yours  sometimes  of  a  morning  when  you  first  get 
up — only  it  looked  so  droll  on  him.  When  he 
began  to  speak,  what  a  silence  reigned  through- 
out the  House  I  every  one  appeared  to  wait  in 
anxious,  almost  breathless,  expectation,  as  if  to 
catch  the  first  sound  of  his  voice,  and  what  a 
voice  ! — clear,  melodious,  and  penetrating,  it  fasci- 
nates and  arrests  the  attention  which  had  before 
slumbered  over  the  humdrum  of  the  preceding 
speakers.  You  forget  for  a  moment  in  listening 
that  he  is  an  enemy  to  our  revered  and  excellent 
President.  I  heard  but  a  itw  words,  yet  those  few 
impressed  me  with  an  admiration  which  I  was 
afterwards  angry  with  myself  tor  having  felt." 

Miss  Phoebe  would  have  been  still  more  disposed 
to  take  herself  to  task  for  her  admiration  of  the  great 
Virginia  orator  had  she  heard  him  pause,  at  the 
conclusion  of  a  vehement,  impassioned  period,  to 
express  himself  with  regard  to  the  faint  foreshadow- 
ings  of  "  the  new  woman"  that  already  appeared 
in  the  Washington  life  of  his  day.  Upon  this  oc- 
casion, when  Mr.  Randolph  allowed  his  prejudices 
152 


John  Randolph 
Bv  Gilbert  Stuart 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


to  overpower  his  gallantry,  the  floor  and  gallery  of 
the  House  were  crowded  by  eager  listeners  among 
the  fair  sex.  Randolph  stood  silent,  and  while  all 
eyes  were  fastened  on  his  weird  figure,  he  pointed 
his  long,  skeleton  index-finger  towards  the  ladies 
in  the  gallery,  and  in  his  peculiar,  shrill,  squeaking 
voice  said,  "  Mr.  Speaker,  what,  pray,  are  all  these 
women  doing  here,  so  out  of  place  in  this  arena  ? 
Sir,  they  had  much  better  be  at  home  attending  to 
their  knitting !" 

It  is  quite  evident  that  Mrs.  Madison  required 
no  admonition  from  Mr.  Randolph  about  keeping 
away  from  the  political  arena,  as  in  describing  the 
doings  of  the  gay  world  during  the  debates  upon 
the  war  she  wrote  : 

"The  mornings  are  devoted  to  Congress,  where  all  delight 
to  listen  to  the  violence  of  evil  spirits.  I  stay  quietly  at  home 
(as  quietly  as  one  can  be  who  has  so  much  to  feel  at  the  expres- 
sion fur  and  against  their  conduct').^'' 

Mrs.  Madison's  "  their"  is  doubtless  intended  to 
refer  to  her  husband  and  his  advisers,  as  her  own 
"conduct"  could  not  have  been  questioned.  Indeed, 
although  Mr.  Blaine  spoke  of  Mrs.  Madison  as  a 
"political  force,"  her  influence  was  simply  that 
which  a  good  and  gracious  woman  always  exerts 
upon  the  hfe  about  her.  No  general  discussion  of 
political  questions  was  encouraged  in  her  drawing- 
room,  and  the  letters  of  the  President's  wife,  with 
153 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  exception  of  expressions  of  uneasiness  at  the 
prospect  of  war,  are  confined  to  social  and  family- 
matters.  In  writing  to  Phoebe  Morris,  Mrs.  Mad- 
ison frequently  retailed  the  latest  social  event  or 
a  bit  of  gossip  about  the  young  girl's  many  friends 
and  admirers  in  Washington.  In  a  letter  written 
in  1813  she  says  : 

"You  remember  the  Judges;  they  have  been  some  time 
amongst  us,  and  are  as  agreable  as  ever.  They  talk  of  you  con- 
tinually, particularly  Story — all  but  Judge  Todd  who  has  re- 
mained with  my  dear  Lucy  to  nurse  their  young  daughter  of 
whom  they  are  very  proud.  It  is  called  Madisonia  Dolley. 
The  last  name  I  am  determin'  d  shall  be  left  out  when  they  come 
to  me  next  summer." 

This  baby,  whose  complex  name  Mrs.  Madison 
proposed  to  simplify,  was  the  child  of  her  sister, 
Mrs.  Washington,  who,  in  March,  1812,  was  mar- 
ried at  the  White  House  to  Justice  Todd,  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  honor  of  having  owned  the  first 
bride  of  the  White  House,  which  has  been 
claimed  by  several  families,  unquestionably  be- 
longed to  that  of  Mrs.  Madison,  as  is  proved  by  a 
note,  written  by  the  sister-in-law  of  the  bride-elect, 
acknowledging  the  invitation  of  the  President  and 
his  wife. 

In  another  clever,  gossiping  letter  written  by 
the  President's  lady  to  Phoebe  Morris,  in  Philadel- 
phia, she  sends  messages  to  her  dear  Mary  Morris 
154 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


and  Becky  Waddell,  and  expresses  her  pleasure  in 
the  announcement  that  "John  Pemberton  has 
succeeded  with  Miss  Chfford."  Being  addicted  to 
match-making,  Hke  most  happy  wives,  Mrs.  Madi- 
son sometimes  rallied  Miss  Morris  upon  her  Wash- 
ington conquests,  telling  her  how  sad  and  discon- 
solate her  lovers  are  during  her  long  absences.  It 
is  not  strange  that  Mrs.  Madison  was  fondly 
attached  to  this  charming  girl,  whom  she  often 
called  her  "  dear  child,"  and  her  "  precious  daugh- 
ter." That  the  good  lady  wished  to  claim  Phoebe 
Morris  for  her  daughter  in  very  truth  is  evident 
from  more  than  one  expression  in  her  letters,  and 
from  the  frequency  with  which  she  coupled  the 
young  girl's  name  with  that  of  her  n'er-do-well 
son,  Payne  Todd.  No  evidence  of  the  slightest 
attachment  between  the  young  people  is  to  be 
found  in  the  letters  of  Phoebe  Morris,  although  it 
would  be  interesting  to  know  what  answer  she 
made  to  the  following  sally  from  the  fond  mother, 
who,  in  quoting  from  a  letter  of  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Todd,  says :  "  She  tells  me  to  say  she  loves  you 
sincerely  and  hopes  you'll  take  a  Kentucky  Beau 
she  has  in  reserve  for  you — what  then  will  become 
of  Payne?  I  will  send  him  to  bring  me  your 
sweet  Rebecca — I  will  so !  .  .  .  We  have  had 
several  marriages,"  continues  this  voluble  lady. 
"  Mr.  Todd,  Mr.  Cutts,  and  Mr.  Campbell,  your 
old  lover,  found  consolation  in  the  smiles  of  Miss 
155 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Stodard,  whom  you  have  often  seen  here  with  her 
sister  Ewell.  Lucy  wrote  me  from  the  town  in 
which  Campbell  lives  and  desired  me  to  describe 
his  House  and  the  preparations  he  was  making  to 
receive  you  ;  but  as  he  has  sealed  his  destiny,  I 
will  withold  her  long  string  of  remarks." 

The  "  Miss  Stodard"  of  Mrs.  Madison's  letter 
was  Harriot  Stoddert,  a  daughter  of  the  Honorable 
Benjamin  Stoddert,  one  of  the  bright  belles  of  the 
capital.  Family  tradition  relates  that  when  Har- 
riot Stoddert  made  her  debut  at  the  Turkish  Lega- 
tion, under  the  chaperonage  of  Mrs.  Madison's 
sister,  Mrs.  Richard  Cutts,  in  all  the  bravery  of  a 
ravishing  costume  of  orange-colored  Canton  crape, 
her  charms  so  wrought  upon  the  susceptible  heart 
of  her  Oriental  host  that  he  followed  her  from 
room  to  room,  and  finally,  to  her  great  dismay, 
asked  her  to  be  one  of  his  wives.  The  Turkish 
minister's  appreciation  of  American  beauty  was 
much  greater  than  that  of  his  predecessor,  who, 
upon  the  occasion  of  a  grand  ball  given  in  his 
honor,  proved  quite  insensible  to  the  charms  of 
the  pale-faced  beauties  around  him.  Suddenly 
spying  a  portly  negress  on  her  way  from  the  kit- 
chen to  the  supper-room,  Meley  Meley  rushed  to 
her  side,  and  throwing  his  arms  around  her,  declared 
that  she  reminded  him  of  his  "  favorite  and  most 
costly  wife." 

Miss  Stoddert's  engagement,  which  was  sufR- 
156 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


ciently  romantic  to  satisfy  girl  readers  of  "  Evelina" 
or  "  Sir  Charles  Grandison,"  was  the  result  of  a 
quarrel  and  a  duel. 

Mr.  George  W.  Campbell,  Senator  from  Ten- 
nessee, had  a  dispute  with  Mr.  Gardenhire,  of  New 
York,  upon  some  political  subject.  In  the  natural 
course  of  events  a  duel  at  Bladensburg  ensued, 
in  which  Mr.  Gardenhire  fell  seriously  wounded. 
He  was  carried  to  Bostock  House  nearby,  where 
he  was  hospitably  entertained  and  tenderly  nursed 
back  to  health  by  the  ladies  of  the  family.  Dur- 
ing Mr.  Gardenhire's  illness  and  convalescence  Mr. 
Campbell  rode  out  every  day  from  Washington 
to  inquire  after  his  fallen  foe.  Here,  at  her  grand- 
father's house,  he  met  Miss  Stoddert,  and,  hke  the 
Turkish  minister,  soon  succumbed  to  her  charms. 
Mr.  Campbell  was  more  fortunate  than  the  Ori- 
ental gentleman  in  having  his  affection  returned, 
and  Harriot  Stoddert  became  his  wife  in  the  winter 
of  1812. 

In  the  midst  of  weddings,  assemblies,  and  draw- 
ing-rooms, briUiant  entertainments  at  the  Russian 
minister's,  where  the  recently  introduced  waltz 
was  danced,  and  balls  at  the  Navy  Yard,  where 
the  gay  folk  frolicked  until  daybreak,  the  war- 
cloud  that  had  been  hanging  over  the  country  for 
months  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  capital. 
Mrs.  William  Seaton,  whose  letters  are  as  charm- 
ing in  their  way  as  those  of  Mrs.  John  Adams, 
157 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

described  a  ball  given  in  November,  1812,  in 
honor  of  Captains  Hull,  Morris,  and  Stewart, 
whose  signal  victory  over  the  British  on  the  sea 
cast  a  gleam  of  light  across  the  lowering  sky. 
"  The  assembly  was,"  Mrs.  Seaton  says,  "  crowded 
with  a  more  than  usual  proportion  of  the  youth 
and  beauty  of  the  city,  and  was  the  scene  of  an 
unprecedented  event, — two  British  flags  unfurled 
and  hung  as  trophies,  in  an  American  assembly, 
by  American  sailors.  lo  triumphe !  Before  we 
started  our  house  had  been  illuminated,  in  token 
of  our  cheerful  accordance  with  the  general  joy 
which  pervaded  the  city,  manifested  by  nearly 
every  window  being  more  or  less  lighted." 

In  another  letter  Mrs.  Seaton  speaks  of  Lieu- 
tenant Hamilton,  son  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  presenting  the  captured  flags  to  Mrs.  Madi- 
son. Mrs.  Seaton  had  been  discussing  the  preva- 
lence of  rouge  and  "  pearl"  among  the  belles  of 
Washington,  which  is  spoken  of,  she  says,  "  with 
as  much  sang  froid  as  putting  on  their  bonnets," 
adding,  "  Mrs.  Madison  is  said  to  rouge,  but  not 
evident  to  my  eyes,  and  I  do  not  think  it  true,  as 
I  am  well  assured  I  saw  her  color  come  and  go  at 
the  naval  ball,  when  the  Macedonian  flag  was  pre- 
sented to  her  by  young  Hamilton." 

Reading  of  the  gay  life  of  the  capital  during 
the  months  preceding  the  entrance  of  the  British, 
it  seemed  as  if  Washington ians,  like  the  French 
15S 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


noblesse  in  the  days  before  the  Revolution,  danced 
and  amused  themselves  without  regard  to  the  threat- 
ening storm  until  it  finally  broke  over  their  heads. 
Much  of  the  gayety  was  on  the  surface  and  in 
official  circles  was  more  than  usually  perfunctory. 
It  seemed  indeed  as  if  Washington,  by  presenting 
a  smiling  face,  sought  to  conceal  her  insecurity. 
The  New  Year's  reception  of  January,  1814,  was 
quite  as  brilliant  as  any  that  had  preceded  it.  Mrs. 
Madison's  face  was  wreathed  in  smiles  and  her 
ostrich  feather  nodded  as  gaily  as  in  happier  days ; 
but  at  this  time  her  letters  contained  many  refer- 
ences to  her  own  anxieties  and  those  of  her  "  dear 
Husband."     In  one  of  these  she  wrote  : 

"  It  is  a  sorrowful  fact  that  there  appears  nothing 
better  in  our  perspective  than  disgrace,  or  war,  .  .  . 
My  Husband  has  done  all  he  could  for  the  honor 
and  good  of  his  country,  and  further  responsi- 
bility must  rest  on  Congress." 

Mrs.  William  Seaton,  whose  husband,  in  con- 
junction with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Gales,  and 
Mr.  S.  Harrison  Smith,  was  editing  the  National 
Intelligencer  up  to  the  morning  of  that  fateful  Au- 
gust day  in  1814,  wrote  to  her  mother  some 
months  before  the  capture  of  Washington,  with  a 
clear  understanding  of  the  situation  of  affairs : 

♦*  When  our  removal  to  Washington  was  in   contemplation, 
you  expressed  apprehension  lest  we  should  be  exposed  to  British 
invasion  and  consequent  cruelty.      You  will  see  by  the  Federal 
159 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Republican,  that  the  plan  might  be  carried  into  execution  with- 
out a  mijacle,  of  seizing  the  President  and  Secretaries  with  fifty 
or  a  hundred  men,  and  rendering  this  nation  a  laughing-stock  to 
every  other  in  the  world.  I  did  not  think  much  of  these  possi- 
bilities until  hearing  them  discussed  by  General  Van  Ness  and 
others,  who,  far  from  wishing  a  parade  of  guards  or  ridiculous 
apprehensions  to  be  entertained,  were  yet  anxious  that  the  city 
should  not  be  unprepared  for  a  contingency  the  danger  of  which 
did  certainly  exist." 


l6o 


VII 

THE  BLADENSBURG  RACES 

ANEW  ENGLAND  girl  who  reached  Wash- 
ington  in  May,  1814,  has  left  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  her  family  her  impressions  of  the  capi- 
tal and  an  account  of  her  adventures  in  escaping 
from  the  city. 

After  explaining  that  she  was  making  a  visit  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Homans,  Chief  Clerk 
in  the  Department  of  State,  Miss  Brown  wrote : 

**  I  explored  in  company  with  some  young  friends  the  in- 
tricacies of  the  Capitol,  often  pausing  to  admire  its  many  archi- 
tectural beauties.  A  flight  of  stairs  commencing  in  the  centre 
of  a  rotunda  and  branching  off  to  reach  a  gallery  that  surrounded 
this  room  excited  my  admiration.  While  gazing  on  these  and 
other  beauties,  among  them  the  full-length  portraits  of  Louis  XVI. 
and  his  Queen,  Marie  Antoinette,  in  their  royal  robes,  I  then 
little  dreamed  of  the  devouring  flames  that  were  soon  so  ruth- 
lessly to  feed  upon  them.  .  .  .  There  were  the  two  magnificent 
wings  of  the  Capitol  connected  by  a  long,  unpainted  wooden 
shed.  Passing  over  a  mile  of  rough  road,  bordered  here  and 
there  by  Congress  boarding-houses,  with  veritable  swamps  be- 
tween, you  came  to  the  President's  house — beautiful  with  archi- 
tecture, upholstery,  gilding  and  paintings,  set  down  in  the  midst 
of  rough,  unornamented  grounds.  Then  another  stretch  of 
comparative  wilderness  till  you  came  to  Georgetown.  Almost 
every  one  of  any  distinction  drove  four  horses,  and  these  fine 
161 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

equipages  on  these  wretched  roads,  with  their  elegant  occupants, 
formed  no  trifling  part  of  the  contrasts." 

^liss  Brown's  notes  are  valuable,  as  they  give 
some  idea  of  the  capital  as  it  appeared  just  before 
the  entrance  of  the  British, — an  interesting  time 
of  which  few  records  remain.  Mrs.  William  Sea- 
ton,  to  whose  ready  pen  we  are  indebted  for  many 
descriptions  of  persons  and  events,  left  Washington 
some  time  in  July,  with  her  brother,  Mr.  Joseph 
Gales,  who  accompanied  his  sister  and  his  young 
wife  to  a  place  of  safety.  When  Mr.  Gales  re- 
turned to  his  office  in  the  building  occupied  by 
the  National  Intelligencer,  he  found  it  sacked  by 
the  enemy  and  much  of  its  valuable  contents  de- 
stroyed. 

In  the  anxious  days  of  the  summer  of  1814, 
when  Admiral  Cockburn  and  his  fleet  were  in  the 
Chesapeake,  with  prospects  of  considerable  rein- 
forcement from  Bermuda,  there  were  still  men  at 
the  head  of  affairs  who  contended  that  Washington 
was  not  the  objective  point  of  the  British. 

General  Van  Ness,  General  Wilkinson,  and 
other  officers  of  experience,  seem  to  have  fully 
appreciated  the  danger  of  the  situation  and  the 
necessity  of  protecting  the  capital ;  but  to  all  their 
warnings  the  over-confident  Secretary  of  War  re- 
plied, "  They  will  strike  somewhere,  but  they  will 
not  come  here.  No,  no  ;  Baltimore  is  the  place, 
sir ;  that  is  of  so  much  more  consequence." 
162 


THE  BLADENSBURG  RACES 

Miss  Brown  described  a  reception  which  took 
place  at  the  White  House  as  late  as  July  4,  when 
Mrs.  Madison  appeared  as  gracious  and  hospitable 
as  ever. 

"I  can  see  her  now,"  wrote  the  young  visitor.  "As  we 
entered  she  was  crossing  the  crowded  vestibule,  conducted  by 
two  fair  girls,  one  on  each  side.  Where  they  were  conductmg 
her  I  do  not  know,  but  she  had  evidently  surrendered  herself  to 
their  sprightly  guidance  with  her  usual  benignant  sweetness.  She 
stopped  to  receive  our  greetings,  and  that  gave  me  time  to  ad- 
mire the  tasteful  simplicity  of  her  dress.  White — but  of  what 
material  I  forget.  Her  hair  hung  in  ringlets  on  each  side  of  her 
face,  surmounted  by  the  snowy  folds  of  her  unvarying  turban, 
ornamented  on  one  side  by  a  few  heads  of  green  wheat.  She 
may  have  worn  jewels,  but  if  she  did  they  were  so  eclipsed  by 
her  inherent  charms  as  to  be  unnoticed. 

*<  These  festival  times  did  not  last  long.  The  news  soon 
came  that  the  British  had  landed  at  Benedict,  the  scene  of  for- 
mer ravages,  about  thirty  miles  below  us  on  the  river.  Then  we 
hear  of  fifty-one  British  ships  in  Chesapeake  Bay.  The  military 
are  ordered  out,  those  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia, 
by  order  of  General  Armstrong,  Secretary  of  War,  commanded 
to  be  in  readiness  in  case  an  attack  should  be  made.  The  pub- 
lick  officials  began  packing  up  their  valuable  papers  to  be  removed 
to  places  of  safety.  Now  all  is  hurry  and  panic,  armies  gath- 
ering, troops  moving  in  all  directions,  the  citizens  trying  to  se- 
cure such  things  as  were  most  valuable  and  most  easily  trans- 
ported, and  flying  from  their  homes  to  the  country,  Mr.  Homans, 
in  whose  family  I  was  a  visitor,  among  the  number. 

**  What  became  of  the  Secretary  of  State  I  do  not  remember, 

but  much  of  his  household  furniture,  together  with  the  books  and 

papers  of  the  Department,  were  put  on  board  of  sundry  flour 

boats  and  committed  to  the  guardianship  of  Mr.  Homans,  who 

163 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

sent  them  up  the  Potomac.  Himself  and  family,  including  my- 
self, retreated  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Obed  Rich  on  the  George- 
town Heights.  There  in  that  lovely  retreat  it  was  decided  to 
tarry  and  watch  the  further  development  of  affairs,  while  the 
boats  rested  at  the  entrance  of  the  canal  round  the  Little  Falls  of 
the  Potomac,  ready  at  any  alarm  to  push  up  the  river  to  a  more 
remote  place. 

"  My  mother  and  sister  had  been  invited  to  sojourn  with  some 
English  friends  in  Georgetown  and  were  enabled  to  visit  us  while 
we  remained  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Rich.  My  brother  had  been 
entrusted  with  the  books  and  papers  of  the  Post  OfHce  with 
which  he  was  coimected.*  He  was  a  youth  of  about  nineteen 
years,  this  circumstance  affords  fine  illustration  of  the  panic 
which  overwhelmed  the  minds  of  public  men.  After  he  had 
seen  his  important  charge  safely  deposited  in  the  cellar  of  a  farm- 
house far  from  all  suspicion  of  the  enemy  he  with  the  ardor  of 
youth  made  frequent  visits  to  the  city  to  see  for  himself  what 
was  going  on. 

**  Mr.  Madison  was  with  the  army  and  Mrs.  Madison,  with 
such  assistance  as  in  the  confusion  could  be  obtained,  was  bravely 
endeavoring  to  secure  what  she  could  in  the  White  House." 

An  unheroic  figure  was  that  of  the  little  Presi- 
dent, as  he  appeared  at  this  time,  when  promptness 
and  decision  in  action  were  more  needed  than 
sagacious  and  prudent  statesmanship.     Nor  is  it 

*  According  to  traditions  of  the  Jones  family  of  Clean  Drink- 
ing, the  Postmaster-General,  Return  J.  Meigs,  and  his  wife 
took  refuge  in  this  famous  old  house,  and  kept  the  post-office  open 
there  until  the  British  left  the  city.  Clean  Drinking,  which 
still  stands  on  Jones's  Mill  Road,  off  Connecticut  Avenue,  was 
built  by  Charles  Jones  in  1750,  and  is  the  oldest  and  one  of  the 
most  interesting  houses  in  the  neighborhood  of  Washington. 
164 


THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

strange  that  men  for  the  time  forgot  the  nation's 
early  and  heavy  debt  to  Madison  in  the  framing 
of  the  Constitution,  in  view  of  the  exigencies  that 
threatened  to  deprive  them  of  the  blessings  promised 
by  that  document.  A  timid  and  inefficient  com- 
mander-in-chief Madison  appeared  in  these  August 
days,  when  he  hurried  from  the  capital  to  the  camp, 
giving  orders  about  warlike  movements  of  which  he 
knew  little,  pencilling  notes  to  his  wife,  confusing 
General  Winder  with  his  counsel,  and  then,  in  the 
face  of  Congreve  rockets  sent  up  by  the  enemy, 
hastily  turning  his  horse's  head  towards  Washing- 
ton. As  the  President  quitted  the  field,  it  is  said 
that  he  called  out  to  the  members  of  his  Cabinet 
who  had  accompanied  him  to  Bladensburg, "  Come 
with  me  and  leave  the  defence  with  the  military 
authorities,  where  it  belongs." 

The  withdrawal  upon  the  eve  of  battle  of  a 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army  and  navy  of 
the  United  States  who  knew  nothing  about  war, 
was  doubtless  a  wise  measure ;  but  it  failed  to 
appeal  to  the  enthusiasm  of  a  people  with  whom 
a  military  hero  has  ever  been  the  chosen  ideal. 
Nor  is  it  strange  that,  with  the  keen  appreciation 
of  the  humor  of  even  the  gravest  situation  inher- 
ent in  the  mind  of  the  American,  caricaturists  and 
poetasters  of  the  time  should  have  seized  upon 
this  inglorious  retreat  of  the  President  as  a  fit 
subject  for  the  sharpening  of  their  wits.  One 
165 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

verse-maker  parodied  Scott's  "  Marmion,"  while 
another,  finding  a  curious  coincidence  in  the  fact 
that  the  "  flights  of  Mahomet,  of  John  Gilpin,  and 
the  flight  from  Bladensburg  all  occurred  on  the 
24th  of  August,"  proceeded  to  put  forth  a  number 
of  verses  in  which  the  President  appears  as  acting 
the  role  of  the  "  citizen  of  courage  and  renown." 
In  these  lines,  which  have  attained  a  distinction 
quite  out  of  proportion  to  their  merit,  Mr.  Madison 
is  represented  as  saying  to  the  Secretary  of  War 
and  the  Attorney-General : 

'  *  Armstrong  and  Rush,  stay  here  in  camp, 
I'm  sure  you're  not  afraid  ;  — 
Ourself  will  now  return  ;  and  you, 
Monroe,  shall  be  our  Aid. 

'  •  And,  Winder i  do  not  fire  your  guns. 
Nor  let  your  trumpets  play, 
'Till  we  are  out  of  sight — forsooth. 
My  horse  will  run  away." 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  President's  short- 
comings, it  seems,  as  we  look  back  upon  this 
period  of  storm  and  stress,  that  it  was  an  unkind 
fate  that  placed  the  peace-loving  statesman  and 
scholar  James  Madison  at  the  head  of  an  admin- 
istration which  had  inherited  international  compli- 
cations that  were  predestined  to  lead  to  war. 

More  fortunate  than  her  husband,  Mrs.  Madi- 
son, even  in  those  perilous  days,  commanded  the 
166 


THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

situation  with  her  wonted  grace  and  dignity.  The 
most  valiant  soul  in  the  White  House,  she  re- 
mained at  her  post,  guarding  its  treasures,  as  the 
President  had  admonished  her  to  do  when  he 
set  forth  for  Bladensburg.  Unintimidated  by  the 
sight  of  friends  and  acquaintances  making  their 
escape  from  the  city,  of  the  officials  of  the  State 
and  Treasury  Departments  withdrawing  with  val- 
uable papers,  or  even  by  the  sound  of  guns  at 
Bladensburg,  Mrs.  Madison  calmly  awaited  the 
return  of  her  husband.  Cool  and  collected  in  the 
midst  of  confusion  and  dismay,  she  made  ready  for 
flight  should  it  become  necessary.  In  a  letter  writ- 
ten to  her  sister  on  August  23,  when  the  British 
fleet  had  sailed  up  the  Patuxent  and  landed  their 
troops  at  Benedict,  Maryland,  about  thirty  miles 
southeast  of  Washington,  Mrs.  Madison  said  that 
the  President  had  gone  to  join  General  Winder, 
and  that  she  had  received  two  dispatches  from 
him  desiring  her  to  be  ready,  at  a  moment's  warn- 
ing, to  enter  her  carriage  and  leave  the  city. 

**  I  am  acccordingly  ready,"  she  wrote.  "  I  have  pressed  as 
many  Cabinet  papers  into  trunks  as  to  fill  one  carriage.  Our 
private  property  must  be  sacrificed,  as  it  is  impossible  to  procure 
wagons  for  its  transportation.  I  am  determined  not  to  go  my- 
self until  I  see  Mr.  Madison  safe  and   he  can  accompany  me. 

My  friends  and  acquaintances  are  all  gone,  even  Colonel  C 

with   the   hundred  men,  who  were  stationed  as  a  guard  in  this 

enclosure.      French  John   [a  faithfiil  servant]   offers  to  spike  the 

167 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

cannon  at  the  gate,  and  lay  a  train  of  powder  which  will  blow 
up  the  British  should  they  enter  the  house.  To  this  proposition 
I  positively  object,  without  being  able,  however,  to  make  him 
understand  why  all  advantages  in  war  may  not  be  taken." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  Cutts  and  their  children 
were  evidently  with  Mrs.  Madison  at  this  time, 
although  she  makes  no  mention  of  them  in  her 
letter  to  Mrs.  Todd.  They  are  all  grouped  to- 
gether humorously  in  "  The  Bladensburg  Races," 
in  which  Mrs.  Madison  is  described  as  counselling 
flight,  which  she  in  reality  delayed  until  she  was 
in  danger  of  being  captured  by  the  enemy. 

♦•  *  Tomorrow  then,'  quoth  she,  •  we'll  fly 
As  fast  as  we  can  pour 
Northward,  into  Montgomery, 
All  in  our  coach  and  four. 

*♦  *  My  sister  Cutts,  and  Cutts,  and  I, 
And  Cutts' s  children  three. 
Will  fill  the  coach; — So  you  must  ride 
On  horseback  after  we.'  ** 

Among  the  friends  who  stopped  at  the  White 
House  to  warn  its  mistress  of  her  danger  were 
Charles  Carroll  of  Bellevue  and  Mrs.  George  W. 
Campbell.  Mr.  Campbell,  then  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  was  with  the  President,  but  his  wife, 
having  been  told  by  an  official  of  the  War  De- 
partment that  the  British  would  be  in  Washington 
in  two  hours,  put  on  her  bonnet  and  shawl  and 

i68 


THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

hastened  to  urge  Mrs.  Madison  to  leave  the  city. 
Two  messengers  also  came  from  Mr.  Madison 
urging  flight.  After  these  and  other  warnings 
Mrs.  Madison  consented  to  set  forth  without  her 
husband,  but  not  before  she  had  secured  the  large 
picture  of  General  Washington  by  Stuart,  which 
was  hanging  in  the  dining-room,  although  she  says 
that  her  kind  friend  Mr.  Carroll  was  in  a  very  bad 
humor  with  her  on  account  of  this  delay. 

So  many  tales  have  been  told  about  the  rescue 
of  this  picture,  of  its  being  cut  out  of  the  frame 
with  a  carving-knife  by  Mrs.  Madison,  or  with  a 
penknife  by  Mr.  Carroll,  and  then  conveyed  to 
Arlington  by  Mr.  Custis,  that  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  read  Mrs.  Madison's  own  account  of  the  affair 
and  that  of  Mr.  Jacob  Barker,  who  was  one  of  the 
gentlemen  in  whose  hands  she  placed  the  portrait.* 

*  Mr.  Jacob  Barker  was  in  Washington  frequently  before  and 
after  the  war,  as  he  was  engaged  in  negotiating  a  ten-million- 
dollar  loan  for  the  government.  His  great  financial  ability  and 
the  confidence  which  his  name  inspired  in  business  circles  ap- 
pears in  his  correspondence  with  Mr.  George  W.  Campbell, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  with  his  successor  the  Honorable 
Alexander  J.  Dallas,  Charles  J.  Ingersoll,  and  other  prominent 
men  of  the  day.  Mr.  Ingersoll,  writing  to  Mr.  Barker,  in  May, 
1 8 14,  after  taking  him  to  task  for  neglecting  to  visit  him  when 
he  passed  through  Philadelphia,  complimented  him  in  high  terms 
upon  his  services  to  the  government  by  saying  that  he  considered 
Mr.  Barker's  aid  to  the  Treasury  during  the  late  crisis  quite  as 
important  as  that  of  Mr.  Morris  during  the  former  struggle. 
169 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Of  the  unscrewing  of  the  picture  from  the  wall 
she  wrote, — 

**  This  process  was  found  too  tedious  for  these  perilous  mo- 
ments. I  have  ordered  the  frame  to  be  broken  and  the  canvas 
taken  out.  It  is  done  and  the  precious  portrait  placed  in  the 
hands  of  two  gentlemen  of  New  York  for  safe  keeping.  And 
now,  dear  sister,  I  must  leave  this  house,  or  the  retreating  army- 
will  make  me  a  prisoner  in  it  by  filling  up  the  road  which  I  am 
directed  to  take.  When  I  shall  again  write  to  you  or  where  I 
shall  be  to-morrow  I  cannot  tell." 

Mr.  Barker's  own  account  of  the  saving  of  this 
portrait  entirely  agrees  with  that  of  Mrs.  Madison.* 
Writing  to  the  son  of  Mr.  Charles  Carroll  of  Belle- 
vue,  the  kind  friend  who  had  urged  Mrs.  Madison 
to  leave  the  White  House,  Mr.  Barker  said, — 

"  As  soon  as  our  troops  broke  and  retreated  the  President  sent 
his  servant  express  to  warn  his  good  lady  of  her  danger,  with 
directions  to  leave  immediately.  This  messenger  must  have 
reached  the  White  House  by  two  o'clock,  and  Mrs.  Madison,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cutts  and  servants  left  immediately  thereafter.    .    .    . 

♦'Whether  I  found  your  father  there  [at  the  White  House] 
or  whether  he  came  in  subsequently,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  I  do 
know  that  he  assisted  in  taking  down  the  portrait  of  Washington 
and  left  the  house  with  the  President,  leaving  the  portrait  on  the 
floor  of  the  room  in  which  it  had  been  suspended  to  take  care  of 
itself,  where  it  remained  until  the  remnant  of  our  army,  reduced 
to  about  four  thousand,  passed  by,  taking  the  direction  of  George- 

*  In  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Madison  to  Mr.  Robert  G.  L. 
Depeyster,  in  1848,  she  again  corroborated  Mr.  Barker's  state- 
ment with  regard  to  the  picture. 
170 


THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

town,  when  the  portrait  was  taken  by  Mr.  [Robert  G.  L.] 
Depeyster  and  myself,  assisted  by  two  colored  boys,  from  the 
said  room  ;  and  with  it  we  fell  into  the  trail  of  the  army  and  con- 
tinued with  it  some  miles. 

<<  Overtaken  by  night  and  greatly  fatigued,  we  sought  shelter 
in  a  farm  house.  No  other  persons  assisted  in  removing  or  pre- 
serving the  picture." 

In  relating  his  experiences  with  this  portrait,  Mr, 
Barker  was  wont  to  speak  of  the  interest  shown 
by  the  inmates  of  the  farm-house  when  they  saw 
it, — one  colored  servant  exclaiming,  as  she  beheld 
the  familiar  features  of  the  great  General,  that  the 
city  wouldn't  have  been  taken  if  he'd  been  about. 

After  a  lapse  of  a  month  or  two,  Mr.  Barker 
returned  to  the  farm-house  where  the  painting  had 
been  left,  and  caused  it  to  be  taken  back  to  Wash- 
ington and  delivered  to  Mrs.  Madison.  That  good 
lady  had  the  portrait  reinstated  in  the  White  House 
as  soon  as  it  was  rebuilt,  encircled  by  an  appro- 
priate frame. 

Miss  Brown  wrote  that  her  mother  and  sister 
saw  "  Mrs.  Madison  in  her  carriage  flying  full  speed 
through  Georgetown,  accompanied  by  an  officer 
carrying  a  drawn  sword.  Where  the  poor  fugitive 
found  a  refuge  I  did  not  learn." 

From  various  reliable  authorities  it  appears  that 

Mrs.  Madison's  place  of  retreat  was  Rokeby,  the 

country-seat   of  Mr.  Richard    H.   Love,  a    mile 

or  two  beyond  what  is  now  known  as  the  chain 

171 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

bridge.*  Here  the  weary  traveller  found  much- 
needed  rest  and  refreshment,  to  which  she  was 
welcomed  by  the  mistress  of  the  house,  although, 
probably  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she  was 
grudgingly  served  by  the  domestics.  When  Mrs, 
Love  told  the  old  colored  cook  to  hurry  and 
make  a  cup  of  coffee  for  Mrs.  Madison,  who  was 
suffering  from  the  excitement  and  fatigue  of  the 
day,  the  cook  replied,  "  I  make  a  cup  of  coffee  for 
you.  Mis'  Matilda,  but  I'm  not  gwine  to  hurry  for 
Mis'  Madison,  for  I  done  heerd  Mr.  Madison  and 
Mr.  Armstrong  done  sold  the  country  to  the 
British."  This  ignorant  woman's  words  were 
evidently  a  reflection  of  the  expressions  that  she 
heard  on  all  sides  with  regard  to  the  President 
and  the  Secretary  of  War,  against  whom  popular 
feeling  was  very  bitter  at  this  time. 

While  Mrs.  Madison  was  anxiously  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  her  husband  at  Mr.  Love's,  Miss 
Brown  describes  herself  and  her  friends  as  under- 
going various  trying  experiences  "  by  field  and 
flood."  This  party,  consisting  of  the  Homans 
family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Obed  Rich,  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
Gardiner,  and  several  children,  spent  the  first  night 

*  Rokeby,  now  a  dairy-farm,  is  one  of  the  interesting  old 
places  near  Washington.  Mr.  Love,  whose  wife  was  Elizabeth 
Matilda  Lee,  named  his  country-seat  after  Sir  Walter  Scott's  poem, 
♦♦Rokeby,"  recently  published,  whose  heroine,  Matilda,  bore 
the  same  name  as  his  wife, 

172 


THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

of  their  exile  on  the  shores  of  the  Potomac, 
where  boats,  fitted  up  with  beds  and  such  other 
comforts  as  could  be  hastily  gathered  together,  were 
ready  for  flight  on  the  ensuing  day.  While  Mrs. 
Roman's  maid  prepared  a  scanty  repast  of  ground 
rice  and  coffee,  which  was  all  the  larder  afforded, 
Miss  Brown  said  that  "  the  gentlemen  of  the  party 
stood  around  a  fire  of  blazing  logs  discussing  the 
situation  of  affairs  with  General  Van  Ness,  who  had 
made  his  way  up  to  our  anchorage,  while  all  gazed, 
from  time  to  time,  upon  a  large  portion  of  the  hori- 
zon illuminated  by  the  buming  Capitol  and  other 
public  buildings." 

As  a  proof  that  small  matters  will  often  occupy 
the  mind  in  the  midst  of  events  of  great  im- 
portance. Miss  Brown  recalled,  many  years  after, 
her  keen  regret  at  the  loss  of  certain  articles  of 
dress  in  the  course  of  this  rapid  flight,  especially  the 
destruction  of  a  cherished  pink  and  white  bonnet. 

"On  leaving  the  city,"  she  wrote,  <*I  wore  a  bonnet  that 
was  considered  just  the  style  for  a  young  lady  of  fifteen  beginning 
to  think  her  personal  adornment  of  some  importance  ;  it  was  of 
white  satin,  gaily  trimmed  with  pink  ;  also,  as  was  the  fashion, 
a  large  shell  comb.  Being  pretty  tired,  and  having  no  place  to 
make  a  proper  night  toilette,  I  tumbled  down  regardless  of  costume. 
After  a  refreshing  nap,  I  waked  finding  myself  still  adorned  by 
my  white  and  pink  satin  night-cap,  while  a  shower  of  rain  was 
gently  falling  on  my  face.  I  suppose  provisions  were  afterwards 
procured  from  the  neighboring  country,  but  the  coiFee  and 
ground  rice  were  our  only  supply  for  about  thirty  hours." 
173 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

The  next  day,  while  being  pulled  up  the  Poto- 
mac by  sturdy  boatmen,  a  great  storm  overtook 
the  little  party,  which  necessitated  their  landing  and 
sheltering  themselves  under  the  trees  of  the  forest. 

"The  government  papers  and  other  valuables,"  says  Miss 
Brown,  "  were  covered  with  tarpaulins.  Into  the  corners  under 
these  we  crept,  but  failed  to  find  entire  protection  from  the 
deluges  of  rain.  The  boats  were  lashed  together  and  to  the 
trees  on  shore,  which  we  were  afterwards  told  bent  over  us  like 
hoops,  while  the  clouds  seemed  to  pause  over  our  devoted  heads 
and  pour  down  one  continuous  stream  of  electricity.  How  long 
this  lasted  I  know  not,  I  only  have  an  abiding  sense  of  my 
forlorn  condition,  wet  and  comfortless  without  a  change  of 
clothing.  When  the  storm  abated  we  again  put  to  sea,  in  no 
condition  to  pass  the  night.  As  we  were  being  pushed  up  stream, 
anxiously  scanning  the  shore  for  some  house  where  we  might 
find  shelter,  we  were  so  happy  as  to  descry  a  log  cabin  known 
to  the  boatmen  as  the  Hominy  House." 

The  Hominy  House,  which  stood  near  Cabin 
John,  seems  to  have  well  deserved  its  name,  as  at 
this  primitive  inn  "  hog  and  hominy"  was  the 
■piece  de  resistance  of  each  and  every  meal.  Here 
the  travellers  were  forced  to  content  themselves 
for  several  days,  with  no  amusement  save  that 
afforded  them  by  their  own  good  spirits  and  by 
Colonel  Gardiner's  amiable  habit  of  sitting  on  a 
barrel  and  singing  "  Through  all  the  changing 
scenes  of  life,"  when  the  dulness  of  the  hours  and 
the  monotony  of  their  fare  became  well  nigh  in- 
tolerable. It  is  pleasant  to  learn  that  this  young 
174 


THE  BLADENSBURG  RACES 

girl,  who  bore  so  cheerfully  the  trials  and  hard- 
ships of  her  enforced  journey,  suffered  no  greater 
ill  from  exposure  to  the  elements  than  the  destruc- 
tion of  her  cherished  pink  bonnet,  and  lived  to 
relate  to  her  children  and  to  her  children's  children 
the  incidents  of  her  flight  from  the  British. 

The  great  storm  on  the  afternoon  of  the  25th 
of  August,  which  added  so  much  to  the  discom- 
fort of  Miss  Brown  and  her  friends,  caused  the 
British  to  stop  in  their  ruthless  destruction  of  public 
offices,  but  not  before  the  Capitol,  the  White 
House,  the  Treasury,  and  other  buildings  were 
sacked  and  burned.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
Mr.  Jones,  had,  before  leaving  the  city,  ordered 
the  Navy  Yard  and  some  ships  of  war  in  the  river 
to  be  set  on  fire,  and  the  devastation  thus  begun 
was  soon  completed  by  the  enemy. 

Admiral  Cockburn,  after  encouraging  his  men 
in  their  destruction  of  the  Capitol,  partaking  of 
whatever  good  cheer  was  to  be  found  in  the 
White  House  and  then  applying  the  torch  to  its 
furniture,  turned  his  attention  to  the  office  of  the 
National  Intelligencer,  which  joumal  had  denounced 
Cockbum's  practices  on  the  coast.  The  rooms 
were  sacked,  the  types  thrown  out  of  the  window, 
and  the  books  and  papers  piled  up  on  the  banks  of 
the  canal  and  burned.  The  building  was  spared, 
at  the  intercession  of  some  women  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, who  guarded  the  premises  in  the  absence 
175 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

of  the  men.  By  a  strange  coincidence  some 
of  the  types  were  saved  by  a  member  of  this 
feminine  patrol,  an  Enghshwoman  who  in  her 
childhood  had  known  Samuel  Johnson,  having 
lived  in  the  same  village,  and  perhaps  for  that  rea- 
son had  acquired  a  respect  for  letters. 

Impeded  in  their  work  by  the  cyclone,  which 
was  almost  as  destructive  in  its  way  as  the  torch  of 
the  invader,  and  alarmed  by  a  rumor  which  spread 
through  the  camp  of  the  advance  of  American 
troops  in  large  numbers,  the  British  beat  a  hasty 
retreat  from  the  city,  leaving  their  dead  unburied 
and  their  wounded  uncared  for. 

It  is  only  just  to  state  that  the  vandalism  of 
General  Ross  and  Admiral  Cockburn  was  bitterly 
denounced  by  the  leading  English  journals  of  the 
day,  while  in  Parliament  the  buming  of  the 
American  Capitol  was  spoken  of  as  a  measure 
that  exasperated  the  people  without  in  the  least 
weakening  the  government. 

When  the  President  and  Mrs.  Madison  returned 
to  Washington,  after  an  absence  of  forty-eight 
hours,  they  found  their  home  a  black  and  still 
smoking  ruin.  For  some  months  the  Madisons 
occupied  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  Cutts 
on  F  Street,  from  whence  they  removed  to  the  Oc- 
tagon, which  was  placed  at  their  disposal  through 
the  generous  hospitality  of  its  owner.  Colonel  John 
Tayloe. 

176 


-1      a 
CO     H 


1 

u 

IH 

( 

1 
s 

^^B 

IW' 

^^1 

THE   BLADENSBURG   RACES 

Situated  at  the  point  where  Eighteenth  Street 
and  New  York  Avenue  meet,  the  rounded  facade 
"  set  on  the  bias,"  Hke  so  many  attractive  buildings 
in  Washington,  the  charming  doorway  offering  its 
hospitahty  to  both  streets,  the  Octagon  stands 
to-day  Hghtly  touched  by  the  hand  of  time. 

This  house,  which  was  begun  in  1 798  and  com- 
pleted in  1800,  was  designed  by  Dr.  William 
Thornton,  the  architect  of  many  buildings  in 
Washington.  Through  the  beautiful  circular  ves- 
tibule the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  first  half 
of  the  century  passed, — such  soldiers  and  sailors  as 
Jackson,  Brown,  Scott,  Barney,  Bainbridge,  Porter, 
and  Decatur  ;  while  Randolph,  Clay,  Webster,  and 
Calhoun  were  familiar  figures  in  the  drawing-room, 
whether  it  was  presided  over  by  Mrs.  Tayloe  or 
Mrs.  Madison.  In  the  circular  room  over  the  en- 
trance-hall, whose  long  windows  once  commanded 
an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  Potomac,  a  notable 
group  of  statesmen  assembled  in  February,  1815, 
when  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  was  signed.* 

There  was  in  1814  considerable  opposition  to 
the  reconstruction  of  the  Capitol,  and  numerous 
arguments  against  it  were  brought  forward  by 
those  in  favor  of  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment to  another  locality.      The  question  of  the 

*  The  circular  room  of  the  Octagon  is  now  used  as  the  office 
of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects,  into  whose  guardianship 
the  fine  old  house  has  passed, 

177 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

rebuilding  of  both  Capitol  and  White  House 
upon  the  same  sites  was,  however,  settled  at  a 
special  session  of  Congress,  held  in  September, 
1 8 1 4,  in  the  Great  Hotel,  once  known  as  Blodget's 
Hotel.  The  work  of  restoring  and  refurnishing 
the  White  House  was  intrusted  to  James  Hoban, 
its  original  architect,  while  Mr.  Benjamin  H. 
Latrobe  was  called  from  Pittsburg  to  draw  plans 
for  the  reconstruction  of  the  Capitol.  In  1817 
Mr.  Latrobe  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by- 
Mr.  Charles  Bulfinch,  a  Boston  architect,  who 
designed  a  dome  much  higher  than  the  one 
proposed  by  Mr.  Latrobe. 

It  was  doubtless  the  unwelcome  suggestion  of 
the  removal  of  the  seat  of  government  that  stirred 
old  Thomas  Law's  muse  to  a  flight  of  fancy  in 
which  Columbia  was  represented  as  sitting  grief- 
stricken  and  dismayed  before  the  blackened  ruins 
of  the  Capitol,  while  "  smiling  Liberty,  with  heav- 
enly grace,"  urged  her  to  raise  her  drooping  head 
and  hear  and  see,  as  she  did  with  prophetic  smile, 

"A  peal  of  victory  rung 

And  a  new  edifice  in  splendor  sprung. 
Like  Phcenix  from  its  ashes,  while  a  sound 
Of  triumph  and  rejoicing  rose  around." 


178 


VIII 

PEACE  AND  PLENTY 

AMID  general  rejoicings  the  season  of  1815, 
JLX.  "  the  peace  winter,"  opened.  The  Madisons 
were  estabhshed  in  the  Octagon,  which,  having 
formed  the  habit  of  opening  wide  its  doors  during 
the  residence  of  its  hospitable  owners,  now  as  the 
home  of  the  President  and  his  wife  closed  them  to 
none.  Especially  wide  were  these  portals  swung  to 
admit  the  messengers  of  peace,  whose  good  tidings, 
if  not  published  upon  the  mountains,  were  noisily 
heralded  across  the  plain  by  a  coach-and-four  that 
thundered  along  Pennsylvania  Avenue  one  after- 
noon in  February.  Cheers  greeted  the  carriage 
as  it  sped  on  its  way  to  the  Octagon,  where  a 
warm  welcome  awaited  those  who  brought  with 
them  the  Treaty  of  Ghent. 

In  the  hours  of  rejoicing  that  followed  the 
arrival  of  the  peace  commissioners,  hospitality 
reigned  in  the  house,  which  was  crowded  with 
visitors  until  midnight.  Mrs.  Madison  received 
in  the  large  parlor  to  the  right  of  the  entrance 
hall,  while  in  the  dining-room  to  the  left:  good 
cheer  was  dispensed  with  a  liberal  hand.  Tradition 
relates  that  the  household  servants  were  not  over- 
looked in  the  general  merry-making,  as  Miss  Sally 
179 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Coles  flew  to  the  basement  stairs,  crying,  "  Peace, 
peace,"  while  the  distribution  of  meats  and  drinks 
in  their  quarters  was  so  bountiful  and  the  good 
cheer  was  partaken  of  so  joyously  that  French 
John  was  incapacitated  for  service  for  some  days. 

While  the  President  and  his  Cabinet  officers 
were  engaged  with  the  commissioners,  Mrs.  Madi- 
son flitted  from  room  to  room  and  from  guest  to 
guest,  her  face  reflecting  the  happiness  that  warmed 
every  heart.  Whatever  mistakes  the  President 
may  have  made  were  forgotten  in  the  gladness  of 
the  hour,  and  more  than  one  writer  has  said  that 
Mrs.  Madison  was  at  that  time  the  most  popular 
person  in  the  United  States.  Friends  old  and  new 
gathered  around  her  to  offer  their  congratulations, 
the  soldiers  marching  home  stopped  before  the 
house  to  cheer  her,  and  the  special  ambassador 
from  Great  Britain,  Sir  Charles  Bagot,  declared  that 
the  wife  of  the  republican  President  looked  every 
inch  a  queen. 

The  rejoicings  over  the  signing  of  the  Treaty 
of  Ghent  had  scarcely  subsided  when  news  of 
General  Jackson's  victory  over  the  British  at  New 
Orleans  reached  the  capital  and  called  for  renewed 
festivities.*     Washington  was  so  gay  during  the 

*  The  fact  that  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  was  fought  while 
the  peace  commissioners  were  on  their  way  to  America  affords  a 
notable  illustration  of  the  slow  communication  of  news  between 
the  different  States  of  the  Union. 
iSo 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


winter  of  1815  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
believe  it  had  so  recently  known  war  and  devasta- 
tion had  it  not  been  for  those  silent  witnesses,  the 
ruined  Capitol  and  White  House,  whose  charred 
remains  were  blots  upon  the  smiling  plain. 

Mr.  Benjamin  H.  Latrobe  was  at  work  upon 
plans  for  the  new  and  improved  Capitol,  while,  as 
Mrs.  Seaton  wrote  some  months  later, 

"About  fifty  members  have  arrived  and  marked  their  seats  in 
the  new  building  on  Capitol  Hill,  erected  for  their  accommodation 
by  old  Mr.  Law,  Carroll,  and  others,  who  wished  to  enhance 
the  value  of  their  property." 

This  building,  near  the  eastern  grounds  of  the 
Capitol,  whether  erected  from  motives  of  public 
spirit  or  of  private  gain,  was  used  by  the  govern- 
ment for  several  years,  and  was  long  after  known 
as  the  "  Old  Capitol." 

Popular  enthusiasm  reached  fever-heat  the  fol- 
lowing autumn,  when  General  Jackson  visited 
Washington.  Balls,  receptions,  dinners,  and  plays 
were  given  in  honor  of  the  hero  of  New  Orleans. 

One  chronicler  of  the  time  has  spoken  of  Mrs. 
Jackson  as  being  in  Washington  with  her  husband 
in  1815.  There  is  no  proof  of  this,  however, 
and  everything  connected  with  the  General's  visit 
points  to  her  not  having  accompanied  him.  In- 
deed, the  fact  that  General  Jackson  made  the  long 
181 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

journey  to  the  capital  on  horseback  seems  to  pre- 
clude the  idea  that  his  wife  was  with  him. 

One  of  the  interesting  social  events  of  the  last 
year  of  Mr.  Madison's  administration  was  a  ball 
given  at  Annapolis  in  honor  of  the  President  and 
his  wife,  when  they  went  to  the  Maryland  capital 
to  visit  the  "  seventy-four"  which  was  to  carry 
Mr.  William  Pinkney  on  his  mission  to  Russia.* 
Mrs.  Seaton,  who  went  to  Annapolis  with  her  hus- 
band, and,  like  the  Madisons,  stopped  en  route  at 
the  home  of  Judge  Duvall,  where  they  were  enter 
tained  with  "  every  luxury  in  and  out  of  season," 
described  this  Annapolis  ball  as  a  brilliant  affair. 
"  Every  one  was  there,"  wrote  the  vivacious  lady, 
"Governor  and  Mrs.  Ridgely,  General  Scott, 
Rogers,  Porter,  Mrs.  Rush,  Mrs.  Loundes,  Captain 
Chauncey  and  his  wife,  who  all  fraternized  very 
cordially." 

Mrs.  Seaton  attempted  no  description  of  this 
vessel,  then  considered  a  wonder  of  the  seas,  whose 
inspection  was  the  ostensible  cause  of  the  jaunt  to 
Annapolis,  as  she  said  that  to  give  any  idea  of  the 
interior  of  such  a   magnificent   man-of-war  tran- 


*  William  Pinkney,  of  Maryland,  a  statesman  of  great  ability, 
who  was  one  of  the  commissioners  sent  to  England  under  John 
Jay  in  1796.  Mr.  Pinkney  was  minister  to  England  in  1806, 
and  was  in  1 8 1 6  appointed  to  represent  his  country  at  the  court 
of  St.  Petersburg. 

182 


PEACE   AND   PLENTY 


scended  her  power.  During  the  visit  to  the  ship 
this  amiable  chronicler  noticed  that  "  the  little 
President  was  as  gay  as  a  lark,  and  jested  very 
humorously  on  the  incidents  of  their  journey  ;  the 
cares  of  state  thrown  off  his  shoulders  completely 
metamorphosed  him  and  relaxed  his  frigidity 
amazingly." 

A  {g:w  months  later  the  cares  of  state  were 
finally  relinquished  by  Mr.  Madison,  he  and  his 
wife  turned  their  faces  towards  Montpelier,  and 
James  Monroe,  his  friend,  reigned  in  his  stead. 
To  this  important  position  Mr.  Monroe  seemed 
to  be  the  natural  successor,  the  Presidency  having 
come  to  him  at  fifty-nine,  after  forty  years  spent 
in  the  service  of  his  country.  As  a  lad  of  nine- 
teen he  had  commanded  a  company  of  Virginia 
volunteers  during  the  Revolution,  and  in  the  years 
that  followed  he  had  represented  his  State  in  the 
Senate,  acted  as  its  chief  executive,  and  at  the 
most  important  formative  period  of  the  govern- 
ment had  represented  his  country  as  minister  to 
France,  England,  and  Spain. 

The  ceremonies  attending  the  inauguration  of 
the  fifth  President  of  the  United  States  were  held 
in  the  open  air,  as  had  been  those  of  the  first 
President.  This  change,  which  is  said  to  have 
been  made  to  prevent  any  wrangling  about  seats 
on  the  part  of  the  members  of  the  Senate  and 
House,  was  favored  by  the  heavens,  which  beamed 
183 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

benignly  upon  the  new  Executive.  March  being 
of  a  capricious  temper,  and  her  smiles  not  to  be 
counted  upon,  Mr.  Monroe  was  fortunate  in  being 
able  to  deliver  his  inaugural  address  from  the  un- 
finished portico  of  the  Capitol  amid  balmy  breezes. 
Inauguration  day  four  years  later,  was,  however, 
ushered  in  by  a  storm  of  rain  and  snow. 

One  of  the  journals  of  the  day  recorded  that  the 
ceremonies  attending  the  inauguration  of  James 
Monroe  were  "  simple  but  grand,  animating  and 
impressive.  The  President  and  lady  received  at 
their  dwelling  the  visits  of  their  friends  and  of  the 
heads  of  the  departments.  The  evening  concluded 
by  a  ball  at  Davis's,  which  was  attended  by  the 
President  and  his  family." 

Mrs.  Monroe,  who  had  in  her  girlhood  entered 
into  the  social  life  of  New  York  and  had  seen 
much  of  the  gay  world  of  London  and  Paris,  was 
admirably  fitted  to  do  the  honors  of  the  White 
House  with  grace  and  dignity.  Some  writers  of 
the  time  have  spoken  of  the  President's  wife  as 
having  been  too  great  an  invalid  to  enter  into  the 
gayeties  of  the  capital.  Whether  ill  or  well,  Mrs. 
Monroe  had  seen  enough  of  the  social  life  of  the 
last  administration  to  realize  that,  with  the  increase 
of  the  Congressional  and  Senatorial  representation 
and  the  influx  of  visitors  from  other  cities,  the  so- 
cial duties  of  the  White  House  were  becoming  too 
arduous  to  be  conducted  upon  the  generous  lines 
184 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


established  by  Mrs.  Madison.     Mrs.  Seaton  wrote 
in  1818: 

"It  is  said  that  the  dinner-parties  of  Mrs.  Monroe  will  be 
very  select.  Mrs.  Hay,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Monroe,  returned 
the  visits  paid  to  her  mother,  making  assurances,  in  the  most 
pointedly  polite  manner,  that  Mrs.  Monroe  will  be  happy  to  see 
her  friends  morning  or  evening,  but  that  her  health  is  totally  in- 
adequate to  visiting  at  present  !  Mrs.  Hay  is  understood  to  be 
her  proxy." 

Such  proportions  did  the  subject  of  visiting  in 
official  circles  assume,  that  Mr.  Adams,  the  Sec- 
retary of  State,  was  called  upon  to  draw  up  a  code 
of  social  etiquette.  This  code,  which  was  in  its 
main  features  similar  to  that  of  President  Wash- 
ington, has,  with  a  few  modifications,  regulated 
the  official  life  of  the  capital  from  that  time  until 
our  own.  It  was  again  decreed,  as  in  the  days  of 
Washington,  Adams,  and  Jefferson,  that  the  Presi- 
dent and  his  wife  should  not  be  expected  to  make 
or  return  visits. 

Indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  the  mistress  of  the 
White  House  fulfilled  her  duty  to  the  public 
when  she  received  one  evening  in  each  week  the 
miscellaneous  assemblage  that  gathered  around 
her.    Here,  according  to  one  of  the  leading  papers, 

**  in  addition  to  the  secretaries,  senators,  foreign  Ministers,  con- 
suls,   auditors,  accountants,    officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy  of 
every  grade,  were  farmers,  merchants,  parsons,  priests,  lawyers, 
185 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

judges,  auctioneers  and  nothingarians,  all  with  their  wives,  and 
some  with  their  gawky  offspring  ;  some  in  shoes,  most  in  boots, 
and  many  in  spurs;  some  snuffing,  others  chewing  and  many 
longing  for  their  cigars  and  whiskey  punch  at  home." 

Some  offence  Mrs.  Monroe  undoubtedly  gave 
by  what  certain  persons  were  pleased  to  call  her 
exclusiveness,  especially,  says  Dr.  Busey,  "  among 
the  '  old  Washington  families,'  just  then  beginning 
to  lay  claim  to  antiquity."  Her  limitations,  how- 
ever, being  dictated  by  a  good  sense  and  good 
taste,  must  have  been  gratefully  appreciated  by  her 
successors  in  the  White  House. 

Mrs.  George  Hay,  Mrs.  Monroe's  elder  daugh- 
ter, assisted  her  in  her  social  duties.  In  March, 
1820,  Maria  Monroe  married  her  cousin,  Mr.  Sam- 
uel L.  Gouverneur,  of  New  York,  who  was  acting 
as  Mr.  Monroe's  private  secretary.  This  wedding, 
according  to  Mrs.  Seaton  and  other  chroniclers, 
was  conducted  in  the  New  York  style,  which 
seems  to  have  been  distinctly  exclusive,  as  only 
the  relatives,  the  attendant  bridesmaids  and  grooms- 
men, and  a  few  old  friends  of  the  family  witnessed 
the  ceremony,  which  was  solemnized  in  the  East 
Room  of  the  newly  rebuilt  and  refurnished 
White  House. 

Miss  Ann  Albertina  Van  Ness  wrote  to  her 
friend  Miss  Ann  Chew,  in  Philadelphia,  telling 
her  that  Maria  Monroe's  wedding  was  the  absorb- 
ing topic  of  conversation  in  the  capital  at  that 
186 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


time.  Miss  Mason,  she  says,  had  been  to  see  her 
to  hold  a  consultation,  as  they  were  both  to  be 
Maria  Monroe's  bridesmaids.  Miss  Van  Ness,  who 
thought  it  so  amusing  that  her  old  schoolmate 
"  little  Rias"  should  so  soon  be  Mrs.  Gouverneur, 
was  herself  destined  before  long  to  become  the  bride 
of  Arthur  Middleton,  son  of  Governor  Middleton, 
of  South  Carolina.  The  other  bridesmaid  to  whom 
Miss  Van  Ness  referred  as  Miss  Mason  was  a  sister 
of  James  Murray  Mason,  Senator  from  Virginia, 
who  had  recently  married  Miss  Chew  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

A  drawing-room  was  held  at  the  White  House 
a  few  days  after  Miss  Monroe's  wedding,  when  the 
Washington  world  was  afforded  an  opportunity  to 
pay  its  respects  to  the  bride.  This  reception  in- 
augurated a  series  of  festivities.  Commodore  and 
Mrs.  Decatur  gave  a  grand  ball  in  honor  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gouverneur,  invitations  were  out  for  an 
entertainment  at  the  home  of  Albertina  Van  Ness 
and  at  other  houses,  when  the  wedding  gayeties 
were  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  sad  termination 
of  the  duel  between  Barron  and  Decatur.  This 
encounter  took  place  at  Bladensburg,  both  com- 
batants fell  wounded  at  the  first  shot,  and  Commo- 
dore Decatur  was  taken  to  his  home  on  Lafayette 
Square,  where  he  died  in  a  few  hours.  The  house, 
which  had  been  the  scene  of  gayety  and  happiness 
a  few  days  before,  was  now  shrouded  in  gloom. 
187 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

No  more  significant  or  pathetic  page  is  to  be 
found  in  the  whole  history  of  dueUing  than  that 
which  represents  these  two  good  sailors  and 
patriots  lying  wounded  upon  the  field  of  Bladens- 
burg,  exchanging  all  too  late  the  few  words  of 
explanation  that  would  have  entirely  cleared  up 
the  misunderstanding  that  led  to  their  unfortunate 
encounter. 

Mrs.  Seaton's  letters  reflect  the  prevalent  feel- 
ing with  regard  to  the  duel.     She  speaks  of 

**  the  murder  of  Decatur  which  will  prevent  any  further  atten- 
tions to  the  President's  family.  .  .  .  The  explanation  which 
took  place  after  the  encounter,  and  before  they  were  removed 
from  the  ground,  would  have  prevented  it.  So  many  friends 
were  privy  to  this  intended  duel,  that  it  appears  most  extraordi- 
nary it  should  not  have  reached  the  ears  of  the  President,  who 
alone  could  have  averted  it.  Mr.  Wirt,  Bomford,  Rogers,  Por- 
ter, Bainbridge,  General  Harper,  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Wheeler, 
all,  all  kept  secret,  though  they  did  everything  else  to  prevent 
it." 

Public  sentiment  was  strong  against  Commo- 
dore Barron  at  this  time.  He  recovered,  contrary 
to  all  expectations,  and  outlived  the  prejudice 
against  him,  as  it  was  generally  admitted  that  he 
had  been  placed  by  Decatur  in  a  most  unfortunate 
position. 

The  widow  of  Commodore  Decatur  soon  after 
his  death  removed  from  the  house  at  the  corner  of 
H  Street,  facing  Lafayette  Square,  which  is  still 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


spoken  of  as  the  Decatur  house,  and  estabhshed 
herself  at  Kalorama.  After  a  period  of  seclusion 
she  laid  aside  her  mourning,  and  her  home  was 
soon  known  as  the  most  hospitable  in  the  capital. 
Mrs.  Edward  Livingston,  who  came  to  Wash- 
ington two  years  later  when  her  husband  repre- 
sented Louisiana  in  the  Senate,  evidently  found 
much  at  Kalorama  to  compensate  her  for  the 
social  delights  of  New  Orleans. 

**  There  are,"  she  wrote,  **  elements  here  to  form  very  good 
society,  but  dispersed  on  so  large  a  space  that  people  are  seldom 
brought  together,  except  in  immensely  crowded  assemblies, 
where  it  matters  little  whether  a  man  is  a  fool  or  not,  provided 
he  can  fight  his  way  through.  There  is,  however,  one  excep- 
tion to  this  ;  it  is  at  Mrs.  Decatur's  ;  she  has  small  evening 
parties,  where  you  meet  by  turn  every  person  of  distinction  in 
Washington — foreign  ministers,  charges  d'affaires,  etc.,  etc. 
To  be  admitted  into  her  set  is  a  favor  granted  to  comparatively 
{ew,  and  of  course  desired  by  all.  We  are  among  the  highly 
favored,  having  been  invited  three  times  in  one  week.    .    .    . 

**  Mrs.  Monroe  is  certainly  the  Ninon  of  the  day,  and  looks 
more  beautiful  than  any  woman  of  her  age  I  ever  saw.  .  .  . 
She  did  the  honors  of  the  White  House  with  perfect  simplicity, 
nothing  disturbed  the  composure  of  her  manner.  Around  her 
were  grouped  Mrs.  Adams,  Mrs.  Crawford,  Mrs.  Rush,  and 
Mrs.  Hays,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Monroe,  who  had  been 
intimate  at  the  school  of  Madame  Campan  with  Hortense  Beau- 
harnais  after  whom  she  named  her  daughter  Hortensia." 

The  friendship  between  Mrs.  George  Hay  and 
the  daughter  of  Josephine  lasted  during  their  lives. 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

In  a  letter  written  to  Mrs.  Hay  in  1823  Queen 
Hortense  speaks  of  sending  her  portrait  to  her 
god-daughter.  This  portrait  is  still  carefully  pre- 
served in  the  family,  many  of  whom  speak  of  the 
strong  resemblance  that  existed  between  Hortensia 
Monroe  Hay  and  her  royal  god-mother.  Hor- 
tensia Hay  became  the  second  wife  of  Mr.  Lloyd 
Nicholas  Rogers,  of  Baltimore,  whose  first  wife 
was  Eliza  Law. 

Mrs.  Livingston,  whom  Edward  Livingston  had 
married  in  New  Orleans  when  she  was  a  widow  of 
nineteen,  was  still  in  the  perfection  of  her  matronly 
beauty  when  she  came  to  Washington.  In  addi- 
tion to  her  personal  attractions,  she  was  intelli- 
gent, a  charming  raconteuse,  and  possessed  the 
power  of  gathering  around  her  the  most  interest- 
ing men  and  women  of  her  time.  The  salon  of 
Mrs.  Livingston  soon  became  famous  in  the  capi- 
tal of  the  nation,  as  it  had  been  in  the  chief  city 
of  Louisiana.  Here  were  to  be  met  the  great 
Chief  Justice  John  Marshall,  the  Associate  Jus- 
tices Joseph  Story  and  Bushrod  Washington, 
and  the  members  of  that  unrivalled  group  of 
politicians  who,  whatever  might  be  their  differ- 
ences in  public,  were  too  closely  allied  by  mental 
affinities  not  to  enjoy  together  the  pleasures  of 
social  intercourse.  Clay,  Calhoun,  Webster, 
Wirt,  and  Randolph  were  frequently  the  guests 
of  Mrs.  Livingston,  often  after  a  sharp  debate 
190 


PEACE   AND   PLENTY 


in  the  House  or  Senate  had  placed  them  on  oppo- 
site sides  of  the  lists.  After  listening  to  the  con- 
versation of  these  able  men,  the  hostess  would 
sometimes  confide  to  a  friend  that,  brilliant  and 
eloquent  as  they  were,  she  had  never  talked  to  any 
one  who  could  compare  with  her  brother-in-law, 
Chancellor  Livingston.  It  is  quite  evident  that 
the  critical  and  sometimes  querulous  John  Ran- 
dolph yielded  unwavering  allegiance  to  the  charms 
of  the  Southern  matron,  as,  in  writing  to  Mr.  Liv- 
ingston in  1833,  when  he  had  been  offered  the 
position  of  minister  to  France,  Mr.  Randolph 
said, — 

"  Let  me  conjure  you  to  accept  the  mission  to  France,  for 
which  you  are  better  qualified  than  any  man  in  the  United 
States.  In  Mrs.  Livingston,  to  whom  present  my  warmest 
respects,  you  have  a  most  able  coadjutor.  Dowdies,  dowdies 
won't  do  for  European  courts,  Paris  especially.  There  and  at 
London  the  character  of  the  minister's  wife  is  almost  as  impor- 
tant as  his  own.  It  is  the  very  place  for  her.  There  she 
would  dazzle  and  charm,  and  surely  the  salons  of  Paris  must 
have  far  greater  attractions  for  her  than  the  yahoos  of  Wash- 
ington. ' ' 

Among  Mrs.  Livingston's  chosen  associates 
were  Mrs.  Adams,  whose  intellectual  tastes  made 
a  close  bond  between  these  women,  although  their 
husbands  differed  so  widely  upon  political  subjects ; 
Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer,  the  wife  of  the  Patroon  ;  and 
Mrs.  Andrew  Stevenson,  the  Sally  Coles  of  earlier 

days. 

191 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Other  attractive  women  in  Washington  at  this 
time  were  Mrs.  Crawford  and  Mrs.  Calhoun, 
whose  husbands  were  destined  to  be  the  rivals  of 
Mr.  Adams  and  General  Jackson  in  the  curious, 
several-sided  contest  for  the  Presidency  in  1824. 
Mrs.  Crawford,  wife  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
although  cultivated,  charming,  and  fitted  to  shine 
in  society,  was  so  simple  in  her  tastes  that  she 
deplored  her  husband's  entrance  into  political  life, 
as  it  would  compel  them  to  relinquish  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  their  domestic  habits.  Mr.  Craw- 
ford, who  was  once  so  close  to  the  Presidency, 
is  described  as  a  man  of  high  integrity  and  great 
social  charm,  as  well  as  of  superior  mental  en- 
dowments. 

Mrs.  Calhoun,  the  wife  of  another  member  of 
the  Presidential  quintette  of  1824,  a  South  Caro- 
lina girl  and  a  cousin  of  her  husband,  was  often  in 
Washington  during  the  Madison  and  Monroe 
administrations.  Of  this  charming  young  matron 
Mrs.  Seaton  wrote, — 

**  I  have  mentioned  the  very  agreeable  accession  to  our 
neighborhood  in  the  Calhouns.  You  could  not  fail  to  love  and 
appreciate,  as  I  do,  her  charming  qualities  ;  a  devoted  mother, 
tender  wife,  industrious,  cheerful,  intelligent,  w^ith  the  most  per- 
fectly equable  temper.  Mr.  Calhoun  is  a  profound  statesman 
and  elegant  scholar,  you  know  the  public  report  ;  but  his  man- 
ners in  a  private  circle  are  endearing,  as  well  as  captivating  ;  and 
it  is  as  much  impossible  not  to  love  him  at  home  as  it  would  be 
192 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


to  refbse  your  admiration  of  his  oratorical  powers  in  the  Hall  of 
Representatives. ' ' 


Judge  Campbell,  who  had  been  appointed  min- 
ister to  Russia  by  Mr.  Monroe,  returned  to  America 
before  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1824.  Mrs. 
Campbell,  once  charming  Harriot  Stoddert,  wrote 
many  interesting  letters  from  St.  Petersburg,  and 
during  her  travels  on  the  continent  met  the  bril- 
liant and  erratic  Madame  Kriidener.  This  high- 
priestess  of  mysticism,  who  exerted  so  powerful  an 
influence  over  the  Emperor  Alexander  that  he 
submitted  to  her  his  draft  of  the  Holy  Alliance, 
Mrs.  Campbell  described  as  a  delicate  blonde  who 
was  always  dressed  in  blue. 

While  at  St.  Petersburg  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell 
met  with  a  severe  affliction  in  the  loss  of  their  three 
young  children,  who  had  died  about  the  time  the 
Emperor  Alexander  lost  his  only  surviving  child. 
In  consequence  of  their  common  sorrow  the  Em- 
peror and  Empress  showed  Mrs.  Campbell  great 
kindness  and  consideration,  sending  her  messages 
of  sympathy  and  insisting  that  their  own  physician 
should  attend  her  and  her  child  in  an  illness  that 
followed  the  death  of  her  little  ones. 

When  Mrs.  Campbell  had  sufficiently  recovered 
her  health  to  bear  the  fatigue  of  a  drive  to  the 
palace,  notice  was  sent  her  that  the  Empress  would 
receive   her   on   a    certain   day.     Mrs.  Campbell 

'3  193 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

wrote  to  a  member  of  her  family,  that  although 
her  great  sorrow  had  deprived  her  of  all  inclination 
to  go  anywhere,  she  was  told  that  it  was  still  con- 
sidered expedient  that  she  should  be  presented  to 
the  reigning  Empress,  having  already  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Empress  dowager,  who  received  her 
during  the  illness  of  her  daughter-in-law. 

'♦After  the  usual  forms,  I  went  last  Sunday,"  wrote  Mrs. 
Campbell,  ♦*  it  being  always  the  day  presentations  take  place,  and 
was  received  in  so  kind  a  manner  that  it  is  a  gratification  to  me  that 
I  went.  I  was  made  to  sit  down  on  the  same  canopy  with  the 
Empress,  he  (the  Emperor)  sat  close  by  ;  they  showed  a  great 
deal  of  feeling  and  commiseration  for  our  dreadful  loss  and  dis- 
pensed with  many  of  the  usual  formalities;  such  as  being  entirely 
alone,  having  no  maids  of  Honor  as  is  usual:  making  me  sit 
down,  offering  me  her  cheek  both  when  I  went  in,  and  when  I 
came  away.  The  Emperor  put  my  shawl  on  and  accompanied 
me  through  two  or  three  rooms." 

Mrs.  Campbell  in  other  letters  spoke  of  the 
delicate  kindness  and  simplicity  of  manner  of  this 
royal  pair.  Alexander  I.,  the  handsomest  m,an  in 
Europe,  and  his  lovely  young  Empress  impressed 
her  more  as  sorrowing  parents  than  as  great  sove- 
reigns. A  daughter  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Campbell  while  in  Russia.  To  this  child  they 
gave  the  charming  name  of  the  young  Empress, 
Lizinka. 

In  the  early  part  of  December,  1824,  before  the 
result  of  the  recent  election  had  been  officially 
194 


Mrs.  George  W.  Campbell 
By  George  Da  we,  R.A. 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


announced,  General  Jackson  and  his  wife  reached 
the  capital.  His  presence  there  is  explained  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  United  States  Senator  from  Ten- 
nessee ;  but  those  who  knew  him  best  felt  that  he 
was  confident  of  his  election  to  the  Presidency. 
It  later  appeared,  from  the  report  of  that  mysterious 
body  known  as  the  Electoral  College,  that  although 
General  Jackson  had  received  a  plurality  of  votes 
no  President  had  been  elected.  The  country 
having  failed  in  its  duty,  it  devolved  upon  the 
House  of  Representatives  to  elect  a  President 
from  the  three  candidates  who  had  received  the 
highest  number  of  votes,  Jackson,  Adams,  and 
Crawford.  This  has  always  been  spoken  of  as 
the  time  when  Henry  Clay  elected  a  President. 
His  own  electoral  vote  being  too  small  to  entitle 
him  to  enter  into  the  competition,  he  for  some 
reason  threw  his  great  influence  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  favor  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Many  and  various  were  the  descriptions  given 
of  General  Jackson  as  he  appeared  then  and  later. 
Mrs.  Seaton  spoke  of  him  as  "not  striking  in 
appearance ;  his  features  are  hard  favored  (as  our 
Carolinians  say)  his  complexion  sallow,  and  his 
person  smalls  This  last  was  evidently  a  mistake, 
as  the  General  was  undoubtedly  tall ;  and  a  curious 
mistake  to  be  made  by  an  observing  woman  and 
one  who  frequently  met  him  during  his  stay  in 
Washington.  Colonel  Robert  J.  Chester,  who 
195 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

had  served  under  General  Jackson  at  New  Orleans, 
recalling  his  impressions  of  his  old  commander, 
related  with  great  pride  that  he  had  worn  a  suit 
of  the  General's  clothes  after  being  overtaken  by  a 
storm  on  his  way  to  the  Hermitage.  The  old 
gentleman,  who  was  of  tall  and  commanding 
figure,  drew  himself  to  his  full  height,  exclaiming, 
"  His  clothes  fit  me  exactly,  shoes  and  all.  We 
were  just  the  same  height,  six  feet  one."  When  in 
Philadelphia  as  Senator  from  Tennessee,  Jackson, 
then  about  thirty,  was  described  by  Mr.  Gallatin 
as  "  a  tall,  lank,  uncouth-looking  personage,  with 
long  locks  of  hair  hanging  over  his  face,  and 
a  cue  down  his  back  tied  in  an  eel-skin ;  his  dress 
singular,  his  manners  and  deportment  that  of  a 
backwoodsman. " 

Other  and  much  later  writers  have  stated  that 
the  frontier  soldier  was  rough  and  unpolished; 
and  while  there  is  abundant  proof  that  he  was 
at  times  harsh  and  vindictive,  a  long  series  of 
years  of  association  with  people  of  the  better  sort 
lay  between  Jackson  the  backwoodsman  and  the 
victor  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  whom  Mrs. 
Edward  Livingston  and  her  friends  pronounced 
"  a  prince." 

The  various  and  conflicting  opinions  expressed 

about  this  man  led  Josiah  Ouincy  to  suggest  that 

there  were  two  Jacksons,  one  the  person  whom  he 

himself  had  attempted  to  describe,  the  other  "  the 

196 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


Jackson  of  comic  myth."  Mr.  Quincy's  own  im- 
pressions of  the  General  are  perhaps  those  to  be 
most  rehed  upon,  especially  as  he  prefaces  his  de- 
scription by  explaining  that  he  was  not  prepared 
to  be  favorably  impressed  by  a  man  who  was 
simply  intolerable  to  the  Brahmin  caste  of  his 
native  State. 

"Although  I  have  only  a  holiday  acquaintance  with  the  Gen- 
eral," wrote  Mr.  Quincy,  "and  although  a  man  certainly  puts 
on  his  best  manners  when  undergoing  a  public  reception,  the  fact 
was  borne  in  upon  me  that  the  seventh  President  was,  in  essence, 
a  knightly  personage, — prejudiced,  narrow,  mistaken  upon  many 
points,  it  might  be,  but  vigorously  a  gentleman  in  his  high  sense 
of  honor  and  in  the  natural  straightforward  courtesies  which  are 
easily  to  be  distinguished  from  the  veneer  of  policy." 

Mr.  Parton's  estimate  of  the  impression  made  by 
Andrew  Jackson  perfectly  coincides  with  that  of  the 
observing  Bostonian.  He  says  that  Jackson  was 
far  from  handsome  ;  only  one  feature  of  his  face 
was  not  commonplace, — his  eyes,  which  were  deep 
blue  and  capable  of  blazing  with  great  expression 
when  roused.  But  his  face,  owing  to  the  quick, 
distinct  glance  of  the  man,  produced  on  others 
more  than  the  effect  of  beauty ;  hence  the  old 
people,  especially  the  women  of  Jackson's  State, 
were  wont  to  talk  of  him  as  a  handsome  man. 
He  evidently  possessed,  as  his  biographer  says, 
"  that  mysterious,  omnipotent  something  which 
we  call  a  presence.  He  was  one  of  those  who 
197 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

convey  to  strangers  the  impression  that  they  are 
somebody ;  who  naturally,  and  without  thinking 
of  it,  take  the  lead." 

Mrs.  Jackson  was  an  exceedingly  retiring,  do- 
mestic woman  who  shrank  from  publicity ;  but  it 
is  quite  evident  from  several  of  her  letters  which 
have  been  preserved  that  she  was  by  no  means 
the  illiterate  person  some  of  the  later  campaign 
gossip  and  songs  have  represented  her.  Colonel 
Chester  and  other  contemporaries  have  spoken  of 
Mrs.  Jackson  as  a  well-bred  and  most  exemplary 
woman.  Her  father,  John  Donelson,  Colonel 
Chester  said,  was  a  proud  man,  and  had  left  Vir- 
ginia because  one  of  his  daughters  married  the 
hammerer  in  his  furnace,  while  Bishop  Meade,  in 
speaking  of  the  churches  of  Pittsylvania  parishes, 
said  that  John  Donelson  was  one  of  the  vestrymen 
of  the  Reverend  Mr.  Guilliam's  church,  to  whom 
a  grant  of  land  was  conveyed  for  the  church  by 
Mr.  Chamberlaine. 

These  circumstances  and  the  marriage  connec- 
tions made  by  members  of  Mrs.  Jackson's  family 
indicate  that  her  people  held  a  good  position 
among  border  settlers.  Despite  the  rude,  almost 
barbaric,  simplicity  of  the  frontier  settlements,  so 
rapid  was  the  migration  of  people  of  standing  from 
the  Eastern  and  Southern  States  in  the  first  quar- 
ter of  the  century  that  there  soon  came  to  be  an 
aristocracy  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  border. 
198 


PEACE   AND   PLENTY 


Nashville,  which  was  the  town  nearest  to  General 
Jackson's  home,  the  Hermitage,  has  been  called 
the  Philadelphia  of  the  South.  With  its  leading 
families — the  Campbells,  Overtons,  Rutledges, 
Browns,  Ewings,  and  Grundys — the  Jacksons  were 
evidently  upon  familiar  terms. 

In  one  of  her  letters  Mrs.  Seaton  wrote, — 

"Immediately  on  Mrs.  Jackson's  arrival  a  dilemma  was  pre- 
sented, and  a  grand  debate  ensued  as  to  whether  the  ladies  would 
visit  her.  .  .  .  Colonel  Reid  and  Dr.  Goodlet,  the  friends  of 
years  of  General  Jackson,  having  settled  the  question  of  propri- 
ety satisfactorily,  all  doubts  were  laid  aside." 

The  dilemma  of  the  Washington  women  was 
probably  due  to  some  rumors  that  had  reached 
the  capital  of  the  irregularity  of  General  Jackson's 
marriage.  These  tales  were  revived  later  and,  with 
many  variations,  were  made  campaign  issues.  The 
explanation  given  by  the  General's  friends  being, 
as  Mrs.  Seaton  states,  accepted,  the  social  leaders 
of  the  small  society  of  Washington  called  upon 
Mrs.  Jackson.  Indeed,  the  General  was  not  a  man 
to  have  tolerated  any  lack  of  respect  shown  to  his 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  devotedly  attached. 

Soon  after  her  arrival  in  Washington  Mrs.  Jack- 
son wrote  to  her  friend  Mrs.  Kingsley,  of  Nash- 
ville, giving  her  impressions  of  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette  and  of  the  unaccustomed  life  of  the 
capital.  This  letter  is  interesting,  because  of  its 
199 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

frankness  and  simplicity,  and  for  the  revelation  it 
affords  of  the  sincerity  and  deep  religious  feeling 
of  the  writer  : 

**  The  present  moment  is  the  first  I  can  call  my  own  since  my 
arrival  in  this  great  city.  Our  journey,  indeed,  was  fatiguing. 
We  were  twenty-seven  days  on  the  road,  but  no  accident  hap- 
pened to  us.  My  husband  is  in  better  health  than  when  we 
came.  We  are  boarding  in  the  same  house  with  the  nation's 
guest,  Lafayette.  I  am  delighted  with  him.  All  the  attentions, 
all  the  parties  he  goes  to  never  appear  to  have  any  effect  on  him. 
In  fact,  he  is  an  extraordinary  man.  He  has  a  happy  talent  of 
knowing  those  he  has  once  seen.  For  instance,  when  we  first 
came  to  this  house,  the  General  said  he  would  go  and  pay  the 
Marquis  the  first  visit.  Both  having  the  same  desire,  and  at  the 
same  time,  they  met  on  the  entry  of  the  stairs.  It  was  truly  in- 
teresting. The  emotion  of  revolutionary  feeling  was  aroused  in 
them  both.  At  Charleston  General  Jackson  saw  him  on  the 
field  of  battle  ;  the  one  a  boy  of  twelve,  the  Marquis  twenty- 
three.  He  wears  a  wig,  and  is  a  little  inclined  to  corpulency. 
He  is  very  healthy,  eats  hearty,  goes  to  every  party,  and  that  is 
every  night. 

"To  tell  you  of  this  city,  I  would  not  do  justice  to  the  sub- 
ject. The  extravagance  is  in  dressing  and  running  to  parties  ; 
but  I  must  say  they  regard  the  Sabbath,  and  attend  preaching, 
for  there  are  churches  of  every  denomination  and  able  ministers 
of  the  gospel.  We  have  been  here  two  Sabbaths.  The  Gen- 
eral and  myself  were  both  days  at  church.  .  .  .  Oh,  my  dear 
friend,  how  shall  I  get  through  this  bustle.  There  are  not  less 
than  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  persons  calling  in  a  day.  .  .  . 
Don't  be  afraid  of  my  giving  way  to  those  vain  things.  The 
apostle  says,  I  can  do  all  things  in  Christ,  who  strengtheneth  me. 
The  play-actors  sent  me  a  letter  requesting  my  countenance  to 
them.     No.     A  ticket  to  balls  and  parties.     No,  not  one.     Two 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


dinings  ;    several  times    to    drink    tea.       Indeed,    Mr.    Jackson 
encourages  me  in  my  course." 

Mrs.  Jackson  may  have  persisted  in  declining  to 
"  countenance  the  play-actors,"  but  she  was  un- 
doubtedly persuaded  by  her  husband  to  accept  some 
of  the  civilities  offered  her,  as  Mrs.  Seaton  spoke  of 
her  as  being  present  at  a  ball  given  by  General 
Brown  in  January.*  At  this  entertainment,  the 
result  of  the  election  by  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives not  having  been  announced,  Mrs.  Seaton 
reported  that  the  different  candidates  were  delight- 
fully jocose  with  one  another.  An  amusing  en- 
counter took  place  at  a  ball  at  Mr.  Calhoun's 
about  this  time.  Mr.  Adams  was  standing  among 
the  dancers  with  Mrs.  Seaton,  when  Mr.  Clay 
passed  in  high  spirits,  saying  that  he  was  much  in 
the  way  of  the  dancers,  or,  rather,  that  they  were 
troublesome  to  him.  "  Oh,  that  is  very  unkind," 
exclaimed  Mr.  Adams ;  "  you  who  get  out  of 
everybody  else's  way,  you  know."  This  dry  joke, 
which  evidently  referred  to  Mr.  Clay's  exclusion 
from  the  House  of  Representatives,  was  received 
in  good  part,  and  both  statesmen  laughed  heartily. 

*  General  Jacob  Brown,  of  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania, 
began  his  career  by  teaching  school  and  surveying.  During  the 
war  of  I  8 1  2  he  commanded  a  brigade  with  such  distinction  that 
he  has  been  spoken  of  as  sharing  the  honors  in  the  Northern 
States  with  Scott,  Porter,  and  Harrison. 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

In  August,  1824,  the  American  nation  greeted 
with  enthusiastic  and  sincere  welcome  the  gallant 
French  nobleman  who  when  a  young  man  had  cast 
his  lot  with  the  struggling  republic.  As  an  addi- 
tional proof  of  his  interest  and  affection  General 
Lafayette  brought  with  him  to  the  United  States 
his  son-in-law  and  his  son  George  Washington 
Lafayette. 

Lafayette  was  received  in  Washington  in  Octo- 
ber. Mr.  William  Seaton  was  secretary  of  the 
committee  of  arrangements,  whose  pleasant  duty 
it  was  to  meet  the  guests  of  the  hour  in  Baltimore 
and  escort  them  to  the  capital.  In  later  years, 
when  recurring  to  the  Marquis's  appreciation  of 
the  good  cheer  of  a  city  famous  for  its  culinary 
triumphs,  Mr.  Seaton  said  that  one  breakfast  in 
Baltimore  was  especially  impressed  upon  his  mind, 
when 

**  the  guest  was  enthusiastic  in  his  enjoyment  of  the  fine  bay 
perch,  six  of  which  he  consumed,  bread  d  discretion,  all  washed 
down  with  generous  Bordeaux  ;  the  culmination  of  his  enthu- 
siasm, however,  being  reserved  for  the  unsurpassed  canvas-back 
duck  and  hominy  ;  and  so  constantly  was  the  General  in  the 
open  air  with  receptions,  processions,  and  speeches, — the  excite- 
ment naturally  inducing  an  unusual  appetite, — that  the  con- 
sumption of  a  whole  duck  would  be  the  tribute  paid  by  him  to 
the  excellence  of  our  unequalled  Southern  winged  delicacy, 
the  enjoyment  of  which  a  subsequent  distinguished  traveller. 
Lord  Morpeth,  declared  to  be  worth  a  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic." 


PEACE   AND   PLENTY 


Mrs.  William  Seaton  was  selected  to  super- 
intend the  dress  and  decoration  of  the  twenty-five 
young  girls,  representing  the  States  of  the  Union 
and  the  District  of  Columbia,  who  were  to  wel- 
come the  French  guests.  Of  this  picturesque 
company  of  girls  in  uniform,  with  long  blue  scarfs, 
curling  hair,  their  pretty  heads  adorned  with  wreaths 
of  eglantine,  Mrs.  Seaton  was  the  captain,  or  "  the 
priestess,"  as  she  styled  herself,  leading  her  gay 
little  troop  in  a  gown  of  white  muslin  deco- 
rated with  blue  ribbons.  It  was  the  pleasant  duty 
of  a  little  maid  representing  the  District,  Miss 
Watterson,  aged  eleven,  to  deliver  a  message  of 
welcome  to  M.  le  Marquis,  after  which  each  one 
of  the  twenty-five  girls  gave  her  hand  to  the 
visitor,  by  whom  it  was  affectionately  kissed. 

In  one  of  her  letters  Mrs.  Seaton  spoke  of 
meeting  the  Marquis  at  General  Brown's  ball. 
This  was  on  the  evening  of  the  13th,  after  he 
had  dined  in  state  at  the  White  House  with  Mr. 
Monroe.  Major-General  Jacob  Brown,  General 
Alexander  Macomb,  Commodore  Tingey,  and 
General  Walter  Jones,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
District  Militia,  were  among  those  who  met  Gen- 
eral Lafayette  and  conducted  him  to  his  lodgings 
at  the  Franklin  House.*     General  Jones  also  met 

*  The  Franklin  House,  on  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue 
and  Nineteenth  Street,  had  been  recently  opened,  and  was  kept 
by    Gadsby,  whose  name  it  bore  for  many  years. 
203 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  in  Alexandria  with  a 
military  escort,  and  rode  with  him  in  a  coach- 
and-four  under  the  floral  arch  that  spanned  Wash- 
ington Street,  and  between  lines  of  happy  chil- 
dren who  strewed  flowers  in  the  path  of  the 
visitor,  and  sang  to  him  gay  little  songs  of  wel- 
come. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Washington  General 
Lafayette  begged  to  be  excused  from  public  cere- 
monials for  a  few  hours,  as  he  wished  to  pay  his 
respects  to  some  friends  in  Georgetown.  The 
General's  first  visit  was  to  Tudor  Place,  the  home 
of  Mrs.  Thomas  Peter,  whom  he  had  known  as  a 
child.  He  afterwards  dined  with  Mrs.  Peter  and 
her  family,  and  visited  her  brother,  Mr.  Custis,  at 
Arlington,  and  spent  an  evening  at  the  home  of 
Colonel  John  Cox,  Mayor  of  Georgetown.  At 
Mount  Vernon  General  Lafayette  and  his  sons 
were  received  by  Mr.  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis,  Mr.  Lewis,  a  nephew  of  General  Wash- 
ington, and  other  gentlemen  of  the  family. 
Judge  Bushrod  Washington  being  absent  at  this 
time. 

This  visit  to  the  home  of  his  old  Commander- 
in-chief,  by  whom  he  had  been  treated  like  a  son, 
must  have  stirred  many  pleasant  memories  in  the 
mind  of  the  sensitive  and  affectionate  Frenchman. 
Lafayette  and  his  son  George  had  both  been 
guests  of  Washington  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  if 
204 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


the  father  recalled  with  emotion  the  hospitalities 
of  the  mansion  extended  to  him  so  graciously  by 
the  host  and  hostess  forty  years  before,  the  son, 
now  a  middle-aged  man,  could  not  have  revisited 
Mount  Vernon  without  remembering  the  kindness 
that  he  had  received  there  in  the  days  when  his 
father  was  a  prisoner  and  the  fortunes  of  the  La- 
fayette family  were  at  the  lowest  ebb. 

After  visiting  the  capital  and  the  large  East- 
ern cities,  Lafayette  and  his  suite  made  a  tour 
through  the  Southern  and  Western  States.  In  all 
of  the  cities  which  they  visited  the  principal  citi- 
zens welcomed  the  distinguished  guests  with 
speeches,  processions,  banquets,  and  rejoicings, 
while  the  most  beautiful  matrons  and  maids  graced 
the  receptions  and  balls,  in  some  instances  strew- 
ing flowers  in  the  path  of  the  "  hero  of  two 
worlds."  It  is  related  that  at  one  of  these  recep- 
tions Lafayette  asked  each  young  man  who  was 
presented  to  him  whether  he  was  married  or 
single.  If  the  reply  was  in  the  affirmative,  the 
genial  Frenchman  would  exclaim  "  Happy  fel- 
low I"  while  if  in  the  negative,  he  would  ejaculate, 
with  delightful  impartiality,  "  Lucky  dog  I" 

In  Nashville  General  Jackson,  who  had  ardently 
supported  the  bill  which  provided  for  the  payment 
of  the  nation's  debt  to  Lafayette,  was  on  the  com- 
mittee to  receive  him,  and  presided  over  one  end 
of  the  table  at  the  banquet  given  to  the  Marquis, 
205 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

while  Judge  Campbell  did  the  honors  of  the  other 
end  of  the  table. 

When  Lafayette  returned  to  Washington,  in 
December,  Mrs.  Seaton  gave  a  grand  ball  in  his 
honor,  which,  she  said, 

"was  attended  by  all  of  the  Cabinet  except  Mr.  Crawford  who 
could  not  come,  Mr.  J.  Q.  Adams  and  his  family,  and  every 
member  of  the  diplomatic  corps,  except  the  Baron  de  Mareuil 
and  family,  the  French  Minister,  who  are  en  grand  deuil  for  the 
King  of  France,  and  by  court  etiquette  are  precluded  from 
society  for  three  months.  I  regret  their  absence,  as  Madame 
Mareuil  is  an  excellent  and  very  attractive  woman,  superior  to 
the  generality  of  her  countrywomen  whom  I  have  met." 

The  grand  deuil  for  King  Louis  did  not  prevent 
the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  and  his  suite  from 
attending  the  Seaton  ball  and  many  other  enter- 
tainments. One  especially  attractive  occasion  was 
an  evening  at  Mrs.  Romford's,  when  Lafayette 
visited  her  home  informally.  Mrs.  Seaton  ex- 
plained that  the  Marquis  had  been  intimate  with 
Joel  Barlow  while  he  was  in  France,  which  was 
his  reason  for  making  an  exception  in  favor  of 
Mrs.  Bomford,  who  was  Mr.  Barlow's  sister-in- 
law. 

"I  found  no  company,"  wrote  Mrs.  Seaton,  "but  the 
families  of  Mr.  Cutts  (brother-in-law  of  Mrs.  Madison)  and 
General  Dearborn,  old  friends  of  ours  both  ;  and  we  passed  a 
most  agreeable  and  charming  evening,  from  whence  we  accom- 
panied the  General  to  the  concert.  We  had  much  plain, 
206 


PEACE  AND   PLENTY 


pleasant  conversation,  in  which  the  benevolent  old  hero  partici- 
pated with  all  the  characteristic  ardor  of  an  accomplished  French- 
man." 

While  Lafayette  was  in  the  United  States  a  bill 
passed  both  Houses  granting  him  a  township  of 
twenty-four  thousand  acres  and  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars, — a  generous  but  well  deserved  recog- 
nition of  the  nation's  debt  to  him. 

During  his  final  visit  to  Washington,  in  the 
autumn  of  1825,  the  Marquis  was  the  guest  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  at  the  White  House.  In 
September,  1825,  when  the  honored  and  beloved 
visitor  bade  his  final  farewell  to  America,  all  busi- 
ness was  suspended  in  the  capital  and  a  vast  assem- 
blage of  distinguished  citizens  accompanied  him 
to  the  shores  of  the  Potomac,  where  he  set  sail  in 
a  new  frigate  that  had  been  named  the  "  Brandy- 
wine"  in  his  honor.  From  the  first  hour  that  the 
Marquis  de  Lafayette  landed  in  New  York  to  that 
upon  which  he  set  sail  from  Washington  in  the 
"  Brandywine,"  his  visit  had  been  an  emphatic  and 
graceful  refutation  of  the  timeworn  charge  that 
republics  are  ungrateful. 


207 


IX 


CLASSICS  AND  COTILLIONS 

AN  interesting  and  unique  home  life  was  that 
/V  of  the  estimable  couple  who  presided 
over  the  White  House  in  1825.  Mr.  Adams, 
despite  a  conscientious  and  painstaking  perform- 
ance of  all  official  duties,  found  time  to  read 
several  chapters  of  the  Bible  with  the  aid  of  com- 
mentaries each  day,  and  to  gather  his  children 
about  him  for  an  occasional  excursion  into  the 
classics.  After  one  of  these  readings,  the  father 
expressed  his  disappointment  that  his  sons  had 
no  relish  for  literature,  not  having  enjoyed  Pope's 
"Messiah"  as  he  had  done  in  boyhood.  Mrs. 
Adams,  with  charming  versatility,  wrote  poems, 
sang  to  her  harp,  and  translated  Plato  with  her 
sons  in  the  pauses  of  social  duties,  which  had 
been  almost  as  exacting  while  her  husband  was 
Secretary  of  State  as  when  he  was  President. 

John  Quincy  Adams,  the  only  one  of  all  the 
long  line  of  our  Presidents  who  followed  his  father 
into  the  Executive  office,  although  one  of  the 
best  trained  officers  the  country  has  ever  possessed, 
was  the  least  popular  of  Presidents.  The  singular 
reserve  and  coldness  of  Mr.  Adams's  manner  are 
well  illustrated  by  the  following  anecdote  in  which 
208 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

a  frontier  soldier  appeared  to  much  greater  ad- 
vantage than  the  scholarly  Chief  Executive,  whose 
training  in  diplomatic  life  began  at  the  early  age 
of  fourteen.  Mr.  S.  D.  Goodrich  recalled,  in  after- 
years,  a  meeting  between  Mr.  Adams  and  General 
Jackson  at  a  White  House  reception  given  soon 
after  the  election  of  the  former  to  the  Presidency : 

"  It  chanced  in  the  course  of  the  evening  that  these  two  per- 
sons, involved  in  the  throng,  approached  each  other  from  oppo- 
site directions,  yet  without  knowing  it.  Suddenly,  as  they 
were  almost  together,  the  persons  around,  seeing  what  was  to 
happen,  by  a  sort  of  instinct  stepped  aside  and  left  them  face  to 
face.  Mr.  Adams  was  by  himself.  General  Jackson  had  a  large 
handsome  lady  on  his  arm.  They  looked  at  each  other  for  a 
moment  and  then  General  Jackson  moved  forward,  and  reaching 
out  his  long  arm,  said  :  *  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Adams  ?  I 
give  you  my  left  hand,  for  the  right,  as  you  see,  is  devoted  to 
the  fair  :  I  hope  you  are  very  well,  sir.'  All  this  was  gallantly 
and  heartily  said  and  done.  Mr,  Adams  took  the  general's 
hand,  and  said,  with  chilling  coldness  :  *  Very  well,  sir;  I  hope 
General  Jackson  is  well  ?'  It  was  curious  to  see  the  western 
planter,  the  Indian  fighter,  the  stern  soldier,  who  had  written 
his  country's  glory  in  the  blood  of  the  enemy  at  New  Orleans, 
genial  and  gracious  in  the  midst  of  a  court,  while  the  old  courtier 
and  diplomat  was  stiff,  rigid,  cold  as  a  statue!  It  was  all  the 
more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that,  four  hours  before,  the  former 
had  been  defeated,  and  the  latter  was  the  victor,  in  a  struggle 
for  one  of  the  highest  objects  of  human  ambition." 

Mr.  Adams  is  described  as  genial  and  kindly  in 
private  life,  combining  in  a  marked  degree  a  cer- 
tain punctiliousness  of  speech  and  manner   with 

'4  209 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

extreme  simplicity  in  daily  habits.  It  was  his  cus- 
tom to  rise  at  five  in  the  morning,  in  order  to  have 
a  walk  under  the  star-lit  skies  in  winter  or  a  swim 
in  the  Potomac  when  the  weather  was  mild,  and 
then  to  study  the  Scriptures  for  an  hour  before 
breakfast ;  after  which  tonic,  physical  and  moral, 
the  President  entered  upon  the  ordinary  duties  of 
the  day. 

Mrs.  Adams,  like  her  husband,  was  domestic  in 
her  tastes,  as  well  as  a  lover  of  literature.  The 
most  scholarly  woman  who  has  presided  over 
the  White  House,  she  possessed  the  adaptability 
of  a  Frenchwoman,  or  of  an  American,  and  could 
turn  gracefully  from  her  books  or  her  family  cares 
to  inaugurate  certain  much  needed  reforms  in 
official  circles.  By  her  grace,  tact,  and  savoir 
faire  Mrs.  Adams  did  much  to  neutralize  the 
effect  of  the  President's  cold  and  often  forbidding 
manner. 

Born  and  educated  abroad,  although  of  American 
parentage,  being  the  daughter  of  Joshua  Johnson, 
American  consul  in  London,  Louisa  Catherine 
Adams,  by  her  early  training  and  her  experience 
of  the  official  life  of  several  of  the  European 
courts,  was  admirably  fitted  to  preside  over  the 
White  House.  The  weekly  levees,  inaugurated 
by  Mrs.  Washington  and  continued  by  Mrs. 
Madison,  were  once  more  held  by  Mrs.  Adams, 
who  introduced  the  custom  of  having  refreshments 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

handed  to  the  guests, — a  service  that  must  have 
required  considerable  skill  in  those  days,  and  would 
be  impossible  in  our  own  time. 

The  foreign  ministers  endeavored  to  have  cer- 
tain days  set  apart  for  their  reception  at  the  White 
House,  that  they  might  not  be  obliged  to  encoun- 
ter the  motley  throng  of  Americans,  so  distasteful 
to  them.  To  this  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  were  too 
democratic  in  their  ideas  or  too  politic  to  consent, 
and  all  classes  of  society  mingled  in  the  throng 
that  crowded  the  audience  chamber  and  surged  on 
into  the  great  East  Room,  as  in  the  public  recep- 
tions of  to-day.  The  hours  were  still  early.  The 
guests  assembled  at  eight,  the  lights  in  the  draw- 
ing-rooms were  out  and  the  house  wrapped  in 
silence  before  eleven  o'clock. 

Mr.  Josiah  Quincy,  who  visited  the  capital  in 
the  winter  of  1826,  spoke  of  evening-parties  as 
features  of  the  Washington  life  of  the  time.  The 
company,  he  said,  assembled  at  eight  o'clock,  and, 
following  the  wise  fashion  of  the  Executive  Man- 
sion, the  entertainment  was  well  over  before 
midnight.  Music,  dancing,  conversation,  and 
card-playing  enlivened  the  evening.  Those  who 
indulged  in  the  latter  amusement  did  not  hesitate 
to  play  for  money,  and  an  amount  of  gambling 
that  would  be  considered  quite  reprehensible  in  our 
day  was  carried  on  in  the  "  best  circles"  of  the 
capital.     A  story  is  told  of  a  Boston  lady  who. 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

in  talking  to  Mrs.  Henry  Clay,  asked  her  with  re- 
markable frankness  if  it  did  not  distress  her  to 
have  her  brilliant  husband  gamble.  "  Sometimes, 
yeSj"  replied  the  ingenuous  Kentucky  woman, 
"  but  really  he  almost  always  wins." 

Among  the  many  graceful  acts  of  Mrs.  Adams 
during  her  official  life  in  Washington,  none  ap- 
pears more  gracious  and  diplomatic  in  the  retro- 
spect than  the  ball  given  by  her  to  General  Jack- 
son in  January,  1824,  when  he  was  already  a 
formidable  rival  of  her  husband.  This  ball  was 
given  while  Mr.  Adams  was  Secretary  of  State 
and  living  in  the  house  on  F  Street,  near  Four- 
teenth, later  known  as  the  Adams  Building.  In 
this  large  double  house  the  ball-room  was  on  the 
second  floor,  and,  according  to  various  chroniclers, 
two  young  relatives  who  were  staying  with  Mrs. 
Adams  spent  a  week  in  preparing  its  elaborate  dec- 
orations of  tissue-paper  and  evergreens.  In  their 
pleasant  task  the  two  pretty  girls  were  doubtless 
assisted  by  the  two  sons  of  the  house,  George  and 
John  Adams,  both  of  whom  were  said  to  be  in  love 
with  one  of  the  girls,  which  was  an  unfair  as  well  as 
uncomfortable  concentration  of  the  tender  passion. 

The  floor  of  the  ball-room  was  chalked  with 
spread-eagles,  flags,  and  the  motto  "  Welcome  to 
the  hero  of  New  Orleans."  The  pillars  were  fes- 
tooned with  laurel  and  wintergreen,  while  wreath- 
ings   of   evergreens    and    roses,   interspersed  with 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

small,  variegated  lamps,  with  a  lustre  in  the  centre, 
gave  what  Miss  Abigail  Adams  considered  a  beauti- 
ful effect.  She  further  recorded  that  there  were 
eight  pieces  of  music,  and  that  General  Jackson, 
who  stood  beside  Mrs.  Adams  to  receive  with  her 
in  the  passage  between  the  two  houses,  looked 
remarkably  well.  A  semicircle  of  distinguished 
persons  gathered  around  Mrs.  Adams  and  the  Gen- 
eral, and  into  this  choice  group  the  guests  entered 
two  by  two  and  made  their  bows,  there  being  no 
handshakings  in  those  days. 

This  ball,  for  some  reason,  set  the  muse  of  a 
certain  Mr.  Agg  to  rhyming,  with  the  result  that  a 
number  of  verses  were  written  and  printed.  These 
verses,  which  have  been  so  often  quoted,  owe  their 
popularity  to  the  fact  that  they  introduce  the  names 
of  many  by-gone  belles  and  beaux. 

'  *  Wend  your  way  with  the  world  to-night  i 

Sixty  gray  and  giddy  twenty. 
Flirts  that  court  and  prudes  that  slight. 

State  coquettes  and  spinsters  plenty. 
Mrs.  Sullivan  is  there 

Whh  all  the  charms  that  nature  lent  her. 
Gay  McKim  with  city  air,* 

And  winning  Gales  -j-  and  Vanderventer. 

*  Miss  Ann  McKim,  of  Baltimore,  who  afterwards  married 
Mr.  Samuel  J.  K.  Handy. 

■j-  Mrs.  Joseph  Gales,  wife  of  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Na- 
tional  Intelligencer. 

213 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Forsyth  *  with  her  group  of  graces  ; 

Both  the  Crowninshields  -f  in  blue. 
The  Pearces  with  their  heavenly  faces 

And  eyes  like  suns  that  dazzle  through. 
Belles  and  matrons,  maids  and  madames. 
All  are  gone  to  Mrs.  Adams'. 

*♦  Wend  your  way  with  the  world  to-night  ? 

East  and  West,  South  and  North, 
Form  a  constellation  bright 

And  pour  a  blended  brilliance  forth  ; 
See  the  tide  of  fashion  flowing, 

'Tis  the  noon  of  beauty's  reign — 
Webster,  Hamilton  are  going. 

Eastern  Floyd  and  Southern  Hayne, 
Western  Thomas  gayly  smiling, 

Boaland,  nature's  protege. 
Young  De  Wolf,  all  hearts  beguiling, 

Morgan,  Benton,  Brown,  and  Lee, 
Belles  and  matrons,  maids  and  madames. 
All  are  gone  to  Mrs.  Adams'. 

**  Many  a  form  of  fairy  birth. 
Many  a  Hebe  yet  unwon  ; 
Wirt  a  gem  of  purest  worth  | 
Lovely,  laughing  Pleasanton, 

*  Mrs.  John  Forsyth,  of  Georgia,  and  her  daughters.  Mr. 
Forsyth  had  recently  returned  from  the  Spanish  mission  and  was 
Secretary  of  State  during  the  Jackson  administration, 

■f  "The  Crowninshields  in  blue"  were  the  daughters  of  Ben- 
jamin W.  Crowninshield,  M.  C.  from  Massachusetts,  sometime 
Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

I  Mrs.  William  Wirt,  of  Virginia,  wife  of  the  Attorney- 
General  of  the  United  States, 

214 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

Vails  and  Tayloes  will  be  there. 

Gay  Monroe,  so  debonair,* 

Helen,  pleasure's  harbinger,-j- 

Ramsey,  Cottinger,  and  Kerr. 

Belles  and  matrons,  maids  and  madames. 

All  are  gone  to  Mrs.  Adams'." 

So  wrote  Mr.  John  T.  Agg  in  1824,  and  by- 
some  curious  mental  sympathy,  telepathy  being 
unknown  in  those  days,  a  young  Maryland  lady  of 
poetic  fancy.  Miss  Sallie  Harris,  penned  some  lines 
descriptive  of  a  ball  at  Wye  Hall,J  which  bear 
a  striking  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Washington 
journalist.  Although  no  literary  merit  can  be 
claimed  for  either  of  these  jingles,  they  are  not 
without  value  as  illustrative  of  the  simple  habits 
and  pleasures  of  an  earlier  time. 

"Wend  ye  to  the  Hall  to-night 

All  the  belles  and  beaux  are  going, 
Mary  with  her  bright  brown  hair. 

Hazel  eyes  and  cheeks  so  glowing. 
The  belles  of  Wye,  too,  will  be  there,§ 

One  is  tall,  the  other  winning. 
Both  are  matchless  in  their  forms  ; 

They  will  dance  like  tops  a-spinning. 

*  Miss  Monroe,  a  niece  of  President  Monroe. 

■f  Miss  Mary  Hellen,  afterwards  Mrs.  John  Adams,  Junior. 

I  Wye  Hall,  Queen  Anne  County,  Maryland,  the  home  of 
Mr.  William  Paca. 

§  Miss  Catharine  and  Sallie  Carmichael,  sisters  of  Judge  Car- 
michael. 

215 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

♦'  Wend  ye  to  the  Hall  to-night  ; 

All  the  dainty  dames  are  going. 
Some  in  *  gigs'  and  some  in  sleighs. 

Some  in  *  kites,*  when  the  wind  is  blowing  ; 
The  maids  of  Woodfield  will  be  there. 

From  girlhood's  state  to  women. 
Unconscious  of  their  many  charms. 

So  pleasing  in  their  sex  and  station. 

"  Wend  ye  to  the  Hall  to-night 

All  the  widowers  here  are  going. 
Wishing  for  a  change  of  state  ; 
Tired  of  a  long  vacation." 


Several  allusions  in  the  verses  of  the  Maryland 
lady  point  to  their  having  been  written  at  an  earlier 
date  than  those  in  which  Mr.  Agg  celebrated  the 
charms  of  the  Washington  belles  who  were  "  going 
to  Mrs.  Adams'." 

Mrs.  Adams's  ball-room  presented  many  interest- 
ing contrasts  that  would  have  been  impossible  in  a 
later  time.  There  was  still  some  picturesqueness  in 
the  costumes  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  day,  which  is 
emphasized  by  the  fact  that  the  plain  manner  in 
which  the  President,  General  Jackson,  and  Mr. 
Adams  dressed  was  commented  upon  as  being  in 
strong  contrast  to  the  elaborate  attire  of  some  of  the 
guests. 

Officers  of  the  army  and  navy  and  members  of 
the  Diplomatic  Corps  appeared  in  regimentals  and 
216 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

regalia,  while  plain  citizens  disported  themselves  in 
pumps,  silk  stockings,  ruffled  cravats,  and  two  or 
even  three  waistcoats  of  different  colors.  The 
dangling  fob-ribbon  with  gold  buckles  and  a  big 
seal  of  topaz  or  carnelian,  regulation  frock-coats 
of  green  or  claret-colored  cloth  with  huge  lapels 
and  gilded  buttons,  and  Hessian  top-boots  with 
gold  tassels  completed  the  costume  of  many  gen- 
tlemen of  this  time.  Certain  of  the  exquisites 
affected  ultra-fashionable  full  dress,  which  pre- 
scribed coats  with  great  rolling  collars  and  short 
waists,  voluminous  cravats  of  white  cambric,  and 
small-clothes  or  tight  trousers. 

In  striking  contrast  with  the  members  of  the 
Diplomatic  Corps,  in  their  gorgeous  costumes 
blazing  with  orders,  and  with  such  dignified  and 
elegant  American  statesmen  as  Mr.  Clay,  Mr. 
Webster,  Mr.  Crawford,  Mr.  Richard  Rush,  Judge 
Story,  and  Mr.  Benjamin  Ogle  Tayloe,  were  Con- 
gressmen and  Representatives  from  the  far  West  of 
those  days,  who  had  not  lost  the  free  stride  of  the 
forest  and  the  prairie  or  its  freedom  of  speech  and 
manner.  No  more  remarkable  was  the  sight  of 
Pushmataha,  the  "  Eagle  of  the  Choctaws,"  in  the 
White  House  than  that  of  the  typical  back- 
woodsman and  Indian  fighter  David  Crockett 
seated  in  the  hall  of  Congress  beside  such  fellow- 
Representatives  from  Tennessee  as  James  K.  Polk 
and  John  Bell. 

217 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Josiah  Quincy  lodged  at  Miss  Hyer's  on 
Capitol  Hill,  where  he  met  a  delightful  party 
of  gentlemen  and  found  much  to  interest  him 
in  the  life  of  the  capital.  Among  his  daily 
associates  were  Thomas  Addis  Emmet  and  David 
B.  Ogden,  of  New  York  ;  Rufus  G.  Amory,  of 
Boston  ;  Captain  Zantzinger,  of  the  army ;  Elisha 
R.  Potter,  of  Rhode  Island, — the  largest  man  Mr. 
Quincy  had  ever  seen  except  professional  giants, — 
with  wit  and  intelligence  in  proportion  to  his 
goodly  bulk ;  and  "  Captain  Stockton,  a  Sindbad 
the  Sailor  of  unimpeachable  veracity,"  whose  tales 
of  adventure  were  the  delight  of  his  messmates. 

Mr.  John  Knapp  and  Justice  Story,  who  had 
been  Quincy's  compagnons  de  voyage^  were  often 
members  of  Miss  Hyer's  circle,  both  excelling  in 
"  the  art  of  conversation  in  days  when  it  was  con- 
sidered a  sort  of  second  profession." 

Mr.  Quincy  described  an  informal  dinner  at  the 
White  House  when  Mr.  King  and  Mr.  Gallatin 
were  the  only  other  guests.  He  noticed  that  the 
latter  gentleman  "  scarcely  said  anything,  owing 
perhaps  to  the  constant  and  amusing  utterances  of 
the  President  and  Mr.  King,  who  talked  as  if  they 
were  under  bonds  to  furnish  entertainment  for  the 
party." 

Other  visitors  to  the  White  House  who  met 
Mr.  Adams  in  familiar  intercourse  with  his  own 
family  and  a  few  friends  have  described  him  as  an 
218 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

agreeable  host.  Mr.  Adams's  niece,  who  was  often 
a  member  of  his  family,  said  that  her  uncle  was 
not  as  cold  as  he  appeared  to  the  world,  and  was 
always  interested  in  the  yo\mg  people  around  him. 
He  was,  however,  an  habitually  taciturn  man  and 
bewailed  more  than  once  his  lack  of  the  kind  of 
conversation  that  adds  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
dinner-table  or  the  drawing-room ;  adding,  in  his 
own  humorous  phrase,  that  he  was  "  a  silent  ani- 
mal," and  that  his  dear  mother's  early  dictum  that 
"  children  should  be  seen  and  not  heard"  had 
wrought  his  social  ruin. 

A  state  dinner  of  forty  covers  at  the  White 
House  Mr.  Quincy  found  "very  splendid  and 
rather  stiff,"  although  it  was  enlivened  for  him  by 
a  tete-a-tete  with  Miss  Bullitt.  He  was  rejoiced  to 
find  that  he  and  "  this  fair  young  lady  from  Ken- 
tucky" had  a  common  acquaintance  in  Larz  An- 
derson, who  had  journeyed  all  the  way  from  his 
Kentucky  home  to  Harvard  College  on  horseback 
with  his  effects  in  saddle-bags.  A  recital  of  some 
of  the  young  Kentuckian's  exploits  at  college 
fairly  broke  the  ice  between  Mr.  Ouincy  and  his 
pretty  neighbor,  and  the  dinner  proved  delightful 
to  him.  Another  dinner,  which  this  appreciative 
visitor  described  as  absolutely  free  from  stiffness  or 
constraint,  was  at  Mr.  Webster's.  The  other 
guests  who  enjoyed  "  this  feast  of  reason"  were 
Mr.  Henry  Storrs,  of  New  York,  and  Rufus  Greene 
219 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Amory,  of  Boston.  That  this  was  not  a  "  feast  of 
reason"  pure  and  simple  we  are  led  to  believe 
from  Mr.  Ouincy's  statement  that  Mr.  Webster 
carved  the  beef,  talking  delightfully  all  the  while, 
telling  some  good  lawyers'  stories,  and  giving  a 
graphic  account  of  the  burning  of  his  home  in 
Portsmouth  in  1813. 

♦*  *  Though  I  was  in  Washington  at  the  time,'  he  said,  '  I 
believe  I  know  more  about  the  fire  than  many  who  were  actively 
at  work  on  the  spot.  Besides,  here  is  Mrs.  Webster  who  was 
burned  out.      She  will  correct  me  if  I  am  wrong.' 

"After  Mr.  Webster  had  dwelt  upon  the  loss  of  his  books, 
which  were  full  of  notes  and  associations,  his  wife  said,  with  an 
amused  expression,  which  showed  that  her  remark  was  not  to  be 
taken  quite  seriously  :  *  I  think  there  was  something  in  the  house 
which  Mr.  Webster  regretted  more  than  his  books.  There  was 
a  pipe  of  wine  in  the  cellar,  and  1  am  sure  that  Mr.  Webster's 
philosophy  has  not  yet  reconciled  him  to  its  loss.  You  see  we 
were  young  housekeepers  in  those  days.  It  was  the  first  pipe  of 
wine  we  ever  had,  and  the  getting  it  was  a  great  event.'  » 

"'Let  us  be  accurate,  my  dear,'  said  Mr.  Webster,  with 
one  of  those  pleasant  smiles  of  his,  which  fairly  lit  up  the  room. 
*  Undoubtedly  it  was  a  pipe  of  wine  when  we  bought  it ;  but 
then  it  had  been  on  tap  for  some  time,  and  our  table  was  not 
without  guests.  If  I  had  you  upon  the  witness  stand,  I  think  I 
should  make  you  confess  that  your  pipe  of  wine  could  scarcely 
have  been  more  than  half  a  pipe  at  the  time  of  the  fire.' 

**  I  suppose  that  there  was  nothing  said  at  that  dinner  so  little 
worth  preserving  as  this  family  jest  ;  yet  the  sweet  and  playfiil 
manner  of  Webster  has  fixed  it  indelibly  upon  my  memory. 
That  manner  I  cannot  give,  and  it  was  everything.  It  somehow 
carried  one  of  those  side  confessions  of  the  absolute  affection 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

and  confidence  existing  between  this  married  pair  which  were  so 
evident  to  those  admitted  beneath  their  roof.  A  congenial  mar- 
riage seems  to  be  essential  to  the  best  development  of  a  man  of 
genius,  and  this  blessing  rested  upon  that  household.  It  was 
like  organ  music  to  hear  Webster  speak  to  or  of  the  being  upon 
whom  his  aifections  reposed,  and  whom,  alas  !  he  was  so  soon  to 
lose.  I  am  aware  that  those  who  knew  the  man  only  when 
this  tenderest  relation  had  been  terminated  by  death  never  knew 
him  in  his  perfect  symmetry.  Whatever  evil  speakers  might 
choose  to  say  about  the  subsequent  career  of  Daniel  Webster, 
he  was  at  that  time  '  whole  as  the  marble,  founded  as  the  rock.'  " 

The  Vice-President,  Mr.  Calhoun,  the  hospi- 
talities of  whose  house  he  enjoyed,  Mr.  Ouincy 
described  as 

**  A  striking  looking  man,  then  forty-four  years  old,  with  thick 
hair,  brushed  back  defiantly.  He  had  joined  the  bitter  opposi- 
tion to  the  administration,  and  though  his  position  prevented  him 
from  publicly  assaulting  the  President,  he  ruled  that  John  Ran- 
dolph was  not  to  be  called  to  order  for  so  doing." 

An  American  who  boldly  announced  that 
'•'•  gentlemen  were  the  natural  rulers  of  this  country," 
in  defiance  of  the  principles  of  the  Declaration, 
could  not  have  been  a  congenial  associate  for  Mr. 
Adams,  who  regarded  that  document  as  a  sacred 
legacy  from  his  own  father  and  from  those  other 
Fathers  of  the  Republic. 

To  have  been  in  Washington  at  this  time,  and 
to  have  enjoyed  the  conversation  of  the  men  there 
assembled,  was  a  liberal  education  for  any  young 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

man.  Mr.  Quincy  was  an  apt  scholar  in  this 
early  impressionist  school,  and  in  later  years 
summed  up  his  advantages  in  a  few  forcible  lines : 

"  The  young  men  of  to-day  who  go  to  Washington  find  a 
city  of  luxurious  appointments  and  noble  buildings,  very  differ- 
ent from  the  capital  of  muddy  streets  and  scattered  houses  with 
which  I  was  familiar.  But  where  is  the  living  figure,  cast  in 
heroic  mould,  to  represent  the  ideal  of  American  manhood  ?  Can 
the  capital  of  to-day  show  anything  so  majestic  and  inspiring  as 
was  Daniel  Webster  in  the  Washington  of  1826  ?" 

Mr.  Ouincy  has  left  descriptions  of  other  great 
men  whom  he  met :  of  John  Randolph,  whom  he 
visited  at  Dawson's  on  Capitol  Hill,  who  in  those 
days  appeared  more  like  "  a  spiritual  presence  than 
a  man  adequately  clothed  in  flesh  and  blood ;  of 
Robert  Hayne,  who  in  the  heat  of  debate  was  so 
forbearing  and  restrained  that  Randolph's  keenest 
shafts  of  ridicule  failed  to  draw  from  him  an  angry 
retort ;  of  the  President,  whose  high  character  he 
revered, — yet  among  them  all  Webster  shone  forth 
to  his  youthful  eyes  like  a  star,  as  he  said,  com- 
pletely satisfying  his  imagination. 

Fully  as  he  appreciated  his  advantages  in  meeting 
the  great  men  of  his  time,  it  is  evident  from  the 
pages  of  Mr.  Quincy's  diary  that  he  by  no  means 
confined  his  observations  to  statesmen  and  orators. 
The  first  evening-party  which  he  attended  at  Airs. 
Wirt's,  the  mantle  of  Boston  still  being  over  him, 
he  seems   to  have  been   more  impressed   by  the 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

historic  lineage  of  the  girls  whom  he  met  than  by 
their  beauty.  Mrs.  David  Hoffman,  of  Baltimore, 
Mr.  Quincy  characterized  as  "  pretty,  learned  and 
agreeable,"  while  of  the  magnificent  Mrs.  Joseph 
M.  White,  to  whose  charms  Mrs.  Anne  Royall 
later  devoted  many  paragraphs  in  The  Huntress, 
the  young  Bostonian  has  left  no  elaborate  descrip- 
tion. 

At  an  entertainment  given  by  Mrs.  Johnson,  of 
Louisiana,  Mrs.  Hoifman  presented  Mr.  Quincy  to 
Miss  Cora  Livingston,  upon  which  occasion  he 
promptly  forgot  his  historic  background  and  with- 
out stopping  to  record  that  she  was  the  daughter 
of  the  Senator  from  Louisiana  and  the  niece  of 
Chancellor  Livingston  of  New  York,  he  joyfully 
wandered  in  the  garden  of  the  gods  with  this 
radiant  young  creature. 

Cora  Livingston,  of  whose  birth  during  the 
eclipse  of  1806  her  father  wrote  to  his  sister, 
"  God  has  given  me  so  fair  a  daughter  that  the 
sun  has  hidden  his  face,"  possessed  much  of  her 
mother's  Southern  charm  and  grace  if  not  her 
remarkable  beauty.  Mrs.  Livingston,  in  writing 
of  her  daughter  at  sixteen,  said,  "  She  is  not  a 
beauty,  not  a  genius,  but  a  good  and  affectionate 
child."  Josiah  Quincy  upon  one  page  of  his 
diary  recorded  that  "  Burke's  famous  apostrophe 
to  the  Queen  of  France  is  none  too  good  for  the 
queen  of  American  society  in  1826,"  while  upon 
223 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

another  page  he  wrote  that,  although  to  describe 
Miss  Livingston  one  must  be  able  to  paint  the 
rose, "  she  is  not  handsome, — I  mean  not  transcen- 
dently  handsome.  She  has  a  fine  figure,  a  pretty- 
face,  dances  well,  and  dresses  to  admiration." 

Miss  Cora  Livingston  was  evidently  endowed 
with  fine  tact  as  well  as  grace  and  charm.  After 
opening  a  pubHc  ball  at  Carusi's  Assembly  Rooms 
with  Mr.  Quincy,  the  young  lady  introduced  her 
partner  to  several  of  the  lesser  belles,  after  which 
she  said,  "  I  am  going  to  perform  one  of  the 
greatest  acts  of  heroism  of  which  a  woman  can  be 
capable.  I  am  going  to  present  you  to  my  rival." 
That  the  "  rival,"  Miss  Catherine  Van  Rensse- 
laer, of  Albany,  was  "a  tall  genteel  girl"  and 
might  be  possessed  of  a  "  fine  mind  and  a  rich 
father"  Mr.  Quincy  was  willing  to  admit,  but  that 
she  could  be  considered  a  rival  of  the  incompara- 
ble Miss  Livingston  seemed  to  him  entirely  out 
of  the  question.  Other  charming  girls  he  met, 
— Miss  Morphin,  of  Kentucky,  Miss  Tayloe,  and 

Miss  B ,  whose  full  name  this  prudent  young 

man  does  not  give,  probably  because  he  adds 
that  "  although  pretty,  she  is  ignorant  and  vain." 
Among  all  the  beauties  of  the  day  who  were  to 
be  met  at  the  Mexican  minister's,  at  the  Baron 
de  Mareuil's,  or  at  Mr.  Vaughan's,  there  was  but 
one  star  of  the  first  magnitude  visible  to  the  eyes 
of  the  enthusiastic  young  Bostonian. 
224 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

Other  chroniclers  of  this  administration  wrote 
of  balls,  receptions,  and  weddings.  A  White 
House  wedding,  in  February,  1828,  being  the 
most  notable  of  these,  when  Miss  Mary  Hellen 
was  married  to  the  President's  son  John,  in  the 
Blue  Room.  Miss  Abigail  Adams,  following  the 
family  fashion,  wrote  in  her  diary  that  "  the  bride 
looked  very  handsome  in  white  satin,  orange- 
blossoms,  and  pearls,"  and  that  she  and  the  other 
three  bridesmaids  had  an  amusing  time  before  they 
joined  the  groomsmen  in  the  circular  room,  ar- 
ranging flowers  and  ribbons.  These  gay  young 
people  passed  the  cake  through  a  ring,  cut  slices 
to  distribute  among  their  friends,  and,  the  day  after 
the  wedding  assembled  in  what  Miss  Adams  called 
the  "  Yellow  Room,"  which  was  evidently  the 
large  East  Room. 

Mrs.  James  M.  Mason  wrote  in  1827  to  invite 
her  sister,  Miss  Ann  Chew,  of  Philadelphia,  to  sev- 
eral family  weddings.  In  her  letter  she  gave  her 
sister  some  advice  about  her  wardrobe,  which 
reveals  the  simplicity  in  dress  and  the  indepen- 
dence of  the  Washington  life  of  those  happy  days. 

**  I  have  absolutely  fixed  my  heart  upon  your  coming  to  us," 
wrote  Mrs.  Mason.  "We  have  resolved  to  be  gay,  and  our 
party  w^ill  be  so  well  selected  that  we  must  enjoy  ourselves. 
Anne  Mason  and  Vu-ginia  are  to  be  Maria's  bridesmaids,  and 
Anne's  sister  Eliza,  (who  is  a  very  clever  girl)  and  Nanny 
Lloyd  are  to  be  our  guests  during  the  merry-making,  also  the  two 
IS  225 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Masons  from  Montpelier.*  We  shall  move  to  the  Island  on 
Saturday,  and  there  we  shall  have  ample  room  to  accommodate 
you  and  many  others,  all  the  men,  married  and  single,  (except 
Mr.  Cooper)  are  to  be  put  into  the  wing.  Maria  is  to  be  mar- 
ried on  the  4th,  and  John  on  the  5th,  and  the  6th,  and  7th,  are 
to  be  devoted  to  frolicking;  on  Sunday  we  shall  go  to  church, 
and  on  Monday,  I  shall  go  home  with  my  husband.  I  wish  you 
would  come  three  or  four  days  before  hand,  and  here  I  must 
give  you  a  hint.  Do  not  bring  with  you  any  display  or  parade  of 
finery,  you  would  be  so  singular  here,  as  to  attract  observations, 
perhaps  ill-natured  ones  and,  maybe,  a  portion  of  envy  were  you 
to  appear  elegantly  attired — economy  is  completely  the  order  of 
the  day  amongst  us.    .    .    . 

**  We  shall  all  wear  the  same  dresses  to  Maria's  wedding  and  to 
John's,  and  on  Friday  a  nice  muslin  and  the  same  on  Saturday. -j* 
Let  your  dress  for  the  weddings  be  as  simple  as  you  please, — 
the  same  dress  you  wore  to  E.  Tucker's  wedding  will  be  much 
handsomer  than  any  you  will  find  here.      Virginia  will  wear  a 

*  Virginia  Mason,  here  spoken  of,  was  the  sister  of  the  bride- 
elect.  Anne  and  Eliza  Mason,  Nanny  Lloyd,  and  the  Masons 
of  Montpelier  were  cousins  of  the  bride. 

j-  The  weddings  referred  to  were  those  of  Sarah  Maria  Mason 
to  Lieutenant  Samuel  Cooper,  afterwards  adjutant-general. 
United  States  army,  and  still  later  adjutant-general,  army  of 
Confederate  States  ;  and  of  John  Mason,  eldest  son  of  General 
John  Mason,  to  Miss  Macomb,  daughter  of  General  Alexander 
Macomb,  United  States  army.  It  may  be  interesting  to  readers 
of  Mrs.  Mason's  letters  to  know  that  Miss  Chew  accepted  her 
sister's  pressing  invitations  to  enter  into  the  wedding  gayeties  of 
the  capital.  The  three  days'  journey  from  Philadelphia  to 
Washington  was  made  in  Mr.  Benjamin  Chew's  family  coach, 
which   still   stands   in   the   coach-house   at    Cliveden,    German- 


226 


CLASSICS   AND   COTILLIONS 

white  crape  trimmed  with  large  white  satin  ruleaus,  over  a  white 
satin — the  same  dress  which  she  has  worn  to  all  the  parties  she 
has  attended  this  winter,  and  Teaco  will  wear  a  plain  bobinet 
trimmed  with  a  lace  flounce  she  has  worked  for  herself,  I  shall 
wear  my  white  satin,  which  is  still  decent.  Nobody  here  ever 
makes  dress  a  matter  of  moment,  and  your  wardrobe  will  pass 
unnoticed  and  unobserved  unless  you  bring  any  thing  very  ex- 
travagant. .  .  .  The  prettiest  dress  you  can  wear  on  the  grand 
occasion  will  be  a  white  book  muslin  trimmed  with  a  wreath  of 
white  flowers,  or  with  three  rows  of  plain  bobinet  quilled  double 
thro'  the  middle.    .    .    ." 

Fashion  decreed  for  the  ladies  of  this  period 
a  scantiness  of  skirt  that  would  have  rendered 
dancing  impossible,  had  not  the  narrowness  of 
this  nether  garment  been  matched  by  its  shortness. 

♦*  Skirts  of  five  breadths  a  quarter  of  a  yard  each,  of  the  favor- 
ite India  crape,  were  coquettishly  short  for  the  freer  display  of 
the  slipper  and  silk  stocking,  matching  the  color  of  the  gown  and 
fastened  with  ribbons  crossed  over  the  instep  and  ankle.  The 
low  baby  waist,  ingenuous  and  frank,  came  to  an  end  abruptly 
under  the  arms,  which  were  covered  with  gloves  so  fine  that  they 
were  sometimes  stowed  cunningly  in  the  shell  of  an  English  wal- 
nut. The  hair,  dressed  high,  was  crowned  with  a  comb  of  tor- 
toise-shell, while  turbans  and  ostrich-feathers  were  the  peculiar 
ensigns  of  wives  and  matrons." 

In  addition  to  the  varied  social  attractions  of  the 
capital  there  were  usually  a  few  good  theatrical 
representations  during  the  season,  especially  when 
a  Philadelphia  company  stopped  in  Washington 
on  its  way  to  Savannah.  In  the  United  States 
227 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Theatre,  the  first  playhouse  of  the  city,  and  in  the 
Washington  Theatre,  opened  in  1820,  appeared 
the  elder  Booth,  Macready,  and  Thomas  Apthorpe 
Cooper,  whose  Charles  Surface  and  Petruchio  were 
among  the  most  finished  representations  of  the  day. 
This  almost  forgotten  actor  was  only  excelled  in 
popular  estimation  by  the  English  tragedian  George 
F.  Cooke  and  Edmund  Keene,  while  Washington 
Irving  said  there  was  no  one  in  England  who  could 
equal  Cooper's  Macbeth.  Mr.  Adams  saw  Edwin 
Forrest,  when  a  lad,  enjoying  at  the  Washington 
Theatre  the  finished  acting  of  Thomas  Cooper, 
little  dreaming  that  he  was  destined  to  dethrone 
Cooper,  as  Cooper  had  dethroned  Fennell.  Mr. 
William  Perrine  tells  a  charming  story  of  the  first 
appearance  of  Mr.  Cooper's  daughter,  a  lovely  and 
accomplished  girl,  who  had  little  inclination  towards 
a  theatrical  life  and  no  very  marked  histrionic 
ability.  Miss  Cooper  undertook  to  play  the  role 
of  Virginia  to  her  father's  Virginius,  in  the  spirit 
of  filial  duty  rather  than  fi^om  motives  of  profes- 
sional ambition. 

"  The  fame  of  the  parent  had  caused  no  little  interest  in  what 
might  be  the  possibilities  of  '  Cooper's  daughter'  as  an  actress, 
and  the  audience  greeted  her  with  anxious  sympathy.  When 
the  scene  came  in  which  Virginius  says  of  the  child,  '  Send  her 
to  me,  Servia,'  and  she  appears  \vith  the  loving  and  dutiful  salu- 
tation, 'Well  father,  what's  your  will?'  the  audience  saw  only 
the  actual  father  and  daughter,  and  recognized  them  with  an 
uncontrollable  outburst  of  affectionate  enthusiasm.  The  progress 
22S 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

of  the  play  was  halted,  and  it  was  not  until  the  veteran  and  the 
daughter  had  relieved  their  feelings  in  tears  that  the  action  was 
resumed." 

Priscilla  Cooper  married  Robert  Tyler,  son  of 
President  Tyler,  and  after  the  death  of  her  mother- 
in-law  presided  over  the  White  House  during  a 
portion  of  the  fourteenth  administration. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  century,  as 
in  later  times,  literary  men  and  artists  had  found 
Washington  an  interesting  place  of  resort.  Wash- 
ington Irving  made  many  visits  to  the  capital  be- 
sides that  first  one  in  1811,  when  he  described  him- 
self as  mounting  with  a  stout  heart  to  his  room  in 
a  Georgetown  inn  to  don  his  "  pease-blossom  and 
silk  stockings  and  gird  up  his  loins"  for  an  effort  to 
reach  the  White  House  at  night  across  over  a 
mile  of  bad  road,  from  which  "  darkness  and  dirt" 
he  finally  emerged  into  the  "blazing  splendor  of 
Mrs.  Madison's  drawing-room." 

In  addition  to  the  large  and  steadily  increasing 
corps  of  newspaper  editors,  writers,  and  correspon- 
dents, which  included  Mr.  Joseph  Gales  and  his 
brother-in-law  William  Seaton,  Peter  Force,  founder 
of  the  National  Journal^  and  such  recent  arrivals  in 
Washington  as  Elias  Kingman  and  James  Brooks, 
there  were  in  the  capital  two  occasional  writers  of 
poetry  and  prose,  Francis  Scott  Key  and  John 
Pendleton  Kennedy.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Kennedy's 
"  Swallow  Bam"  and  "  Horseshoe  Robinson"  are 
229 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

little  read  to-day  does  not  invalidate  his  claim  to 
the  distinction  of  being  classed  among  early  Amer- 
can  litterateurs. 

Two  Englishmen  of  ability  were  among  the 
journalists  of  this  time,  James  Cheatham,  who 
edited  the  New  York  Citizen,  and  resided  in  Wash- 
ington during  the  session  of  Congress,  and  John  T. 
Agg,  some  time  editor  of  the  National  Journal,  who 
"  dropped  into  poetry"  upon  the  occasion  of  Mrs. 
Adams's  ball.  Robert  Fulton,  artist  as  well  as  in- 
ventor, was  at  the  capital  in  early  days,  visiting  his 
friend  Joel  Barlow ;  and  here  came  James  Peale, 
who  painted  a  number  of  miniatures  of  Washing- 
ton men  and  women,  and  Washington  AUston,  the 
friend  of  Malbone.  Although  a  number  of  Mal- 
bone's  miniatures  are  to  be  found  in  the  District,  it 
is  not  probable  that  they  were  painted  there,  as  the 
artist  could  only  have  visited  the  capital  in  the 
latter  years  of  his  life,  when  failing  health  seriously 
interfered  with  his  work.  Among  the  most  charm- 
ing of  these  miniatures  is  one  of  Mrs.  Moses  Poor, 
the  ancestress  of  many  Washingtonians.  This 
miniature,  which  represents  Mrs.  Poor  in  early 
matronhood,  was  probably  painted  in  Boston,  as 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poor  did  not  make  Washington  their 
home  until  after  Malbone's  death. 

One  of  the  few  portraits  in  oil  executed  by  Mal- 
bone is  to  be  found  in  the  Corcoran  Gallery  in 
Washington.  This  picture  is  doubly  interesting 
230 


Edward  Greene  Malbone 
By  Himself 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

because  it  represents  the  delicate,  refined  face  of  the 
artist  himself,  whose  brilliant  and  promising  career 
ended  at  the  age  of  thirty. 

Charles  King,  the  limner  of  many  Washing- 
tonians,  made  this  city  his  home  early  in  the 
century,  and  built  here  the  first  picture-gallery. 
Mr.  King  had  his  studio  on  the  east  side  of  Twelfth 
Street,  below  F,  where  the  Columbia  Theatre  was 
built  later,  and  here  Mr.  William  Dunlap,  who 
visited  him  in  1824,  said  that  he  found  the  artist 
"  full  of  business  and  a  great  painter,  assiduously 
employed  in  his  painting-room  through  the  day, 
and  in  the  evening  attending  the  soirees,  parties, 
and  balls  of  the  capital." 

Those  who  still  recall  Mr.  King  as  he  appeared 
in  later  years  in  Washington  speak  of  him  as  a 
picturesque  figure,  especially  so  when  he  appeared 
one  evening  at  a  fancy  ball  in  the  character  of 
Rembrandt. 

Although  Mrs.  Seaton  wrote  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Adams,  after  the  election,  that  they  were  "  perfectly 
comme  ilfaut  and  he  a  little  more  gay  and  polite," 
she  has  left  few  descriptions  of  the  social  events  of 
this  administration.  Mrs.  Seaton's  silence  is  perhaps 
due  to  a  severe  affliction  that  befell  her  in  the  sudden 
death  of  her  little  son,  which  naturally  prevented 
her  from  entering  into  the  gayeties  of  the  capital. 

One  of  Mrs.  Seaton's  friends,  Mrs.  Samuel  Har- 
rison Smith,  whose  husband  was  the  original  pro- 
231 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

prietor  of  the  National  Intelligencer,  has  left  some 
interesting  pictures  of  Washington  society  in  the 
last  days  of  the  Adams  administration.  Through 
her  letters  Mrs.  Smith  kept  her  son,  J.  Bayard  Smith, 
a  student  at  Princeton  College,  au  courant  of  the 
social  and  of  some  of  the  political  events  of  the 
capital.  In  a  letter  written  in  December,  1828, 
she  spoke  of  "  an  exhibition  at  the  College,"  upon 
which  occasion  the  President  walked  to  and  from 
the  college,  which  Mrs.  Smith  considered  "  too  great 
a  degree  of  democratic  simplicity,"  adding, — 

"  For  my  part  I  like  a  little  of  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of 
rank,  and  I  really  believe  the  sovereign  people  like  it  too,  and 
mean  to  show  their  taste  on  this  point  on  the  inauguration  of 
General  Jackson.  The  papers  already  teem  with  accoimts  of 
the  preparations  making  for  his  journey  here.  A  superb  coach 
and  eight  white  horses  is  ready  in  Philadelphia.  A  carriage  built 
of  hickory  is  getting  ready  in  Baltimore,  and  a  vessel  called  the 
'Constitution'  is  to  be  borne  htrt  full  sail  by  sixteen  white  horses. 
We  are  threatened  with  a  deluge  of  people  from  Virginia,  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland,  and  other  adjacent  States.  Washington  will 
be  inundated,  and  the  papers  say  every  house,  private  as  well  as 
public,  will  be  filled  to  overilowing.  .  .  .  Meanwhile,  the  de- 
feated party  put  the  best  face  on  the  affair,  and  are  more  smiling 
and  gracious  and  agreeable  than  they  ever  were  before.  At  Mrs. 
Adams'  drawing-room  last  week,  every  one  attached  to  the  ad- 
ministration, as  well  as  the  members  of  the  cabinet,  appeared 
with  their  best  looks  and  best  dresses.  Mrs.  Adams  never  on 
any  former  occasion  was  so  social,  attentive,  and  agreeable.  In- 
stead of  standing  in  one  place,  making  formal  courtesies,  she 
walked  through  the  rooms  conversing  with  every  one  in  the  most 
232 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

animated  manner.  To  add  to  the  gaiety  and  brilliancy  of  the 
evening,  the  great  audience  chamber  was  lit  up,  the  band  of 
musick  stationed  there,  and  dancing  took  place  for  the  first  time 
it  ever  was  permitted  in  the  President's  house." 

Mrs.  Harrison  Smith  was  doubtless  quite  correct 
in  speaking  of  dancing  as  an  innovation  at  the  re- 
ceptions ;  but  that  there  had  been  dances  at  the 
White  House  before  this  time  is  quite  evident  from 
several  letters  of  an  earlier  period.  Mrs.  Madison 
wrote  to  Phoebe  Morris  of  "  a  small  dancing  frolic 
at  the  White  House  which  would  have  delighted 
her  heart,  at  which  Mrs.  Eustis,  Mrs.  Richard  Rush, 
and  the  Hamiltons  assisted." 

Another  time  when  the  sounds  of  music  and 
dancing  were  heard  in  the  East  Room  was  at  the 
ball  given  after  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Adams's  son 
John  to  his  cousin  Miss  Mary  Hellen.  Upon  this 
occasion  it  is  related  that  the  grave  and  dignified 
President  unbent  for  the  nonce  and  entered  with 
spirit  into  the  mazes  of  the  Virginia  reel. 

Referring  to  the  unusual  gayety  of  the  last  recep- 
tion of  the  Adams  administration,  Mrs.  Smith 
remarked, — 

'  •  Most  people  think  this  was  going  rather  too  far.  To 
appear  cheerful  would  be  consistent  with  dignity  and  self-respect. 
But  as  one  of  the  members  observed  they  mean  to  march  out 
with  flying  colours  and  all  the  honours  of  war  !" 

Dignified  and  gracious,  even  if  her  gracious- 
ness  was  not  appreciated  by  men  and  women  of 

233 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

different  political  affiliations,  Mrs.  Adams  passed 
from  the  life  of  the  White  House  to  which  she 
had  added  charm  and  distinction.  Mr.  Adams,  who 
had  greatly  desired  a  proof  of  the  people's  confi- 
dence, of  which  his  re-election  would  have  assured 
him,  solemnly  recorded  in  his  diary,  "  March  4"^ 
1829  Gen'  Jackson  was  inaugurated  as  President 
of  the  U.  S.  .  .  .  And  the  places  that  have  known 
us  shall  know  us  no  more." 

Contrary  to  all  precedent,  Mr.  Adams,  instead  of 
remaining  at  Ouincy  in  the  enjoyment  of  private 
life  and  of  the  Latin  classics  that  he  loved,  returned 
to  the  capital  as  Congressman  from  the  Plymouth 
district.  With  the  manly  words  upon  his  lips, 
"No  person  could  be  degraded  by  serving  the 
people  as  Representative  in  Congress,"  John  Quincy 
Adams  entered  upon  what  has  been  considered  by 
many  historians  the  most  brilliant  and  distinguished 
period  of  his  varied  and  useful  career. 

"Here,"  said  Mr.  Morse,  "  he  was  to  attain  the  highest 
pinnacle  of  his  fame  after  he  had  left  the  greatest  office  of  the 
Government,  and  during  a  period  for  which  presumably  nothing 
better  had  been  allotted  than  that  he  should  tranquilly  await  the 
summons  of  death." 

It  was  in  the  House  that  the  summons  finally 
came,  but  not  until  John  Adams  had  served  his 
country  there  ably  and  conscientiously  for  nearly 
a    score  of  years.     Not  unfitting,  it  seemed   that 

234 


CLASSICS  AND   COTILLIONS 

to  this  wise  statesman  and  good  man,  then  in 
the  fulness  of  years,  death  should  have  come  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  upon  whose  floor  he  had 
recently  led  a  successful  charge.  This  signal  victory 
over  unrighteous  legislation  John  Quincy  Adams 
humbly  and  devoutly  recorded  upon  one  of  the  last 
pages  of  his  diary  in  the  following  words :  "  Blessed, 
forever  blessed  be  the  name  of  God  I" 


235 


X 


A   LADIES'   BATTLE 

THE  coach  built  in  Philadelphia,  drawn  by  eight 
white  horses;  the  hickory  carriage,  Baltimore's 
votive  offering  to  Andrew  Jackson ;  and  another 
conveyance  modelled  after  the  "  Constitution,"  did 
not,  it  seems,  occupy  prominent  places  in  the  in- 
augural ceremonies  of  March  4,  1829,  as,  accord- 
ing to  Mrs.  Harrison  Smith,  General  Jackson,  after 
taking  the  oath  of  office,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode 
home  from  the  Capitol,  having  gone  thither  on  foot. 
Although  the  vast  throng  that  pursued  the  Pres- 
ident from  the  Capitol  to  the  White  House  is 
spoken  of  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day  as  a  "  civic 
procession,"  it  appears  to  have  consisted  of  a  motley 
train  of  countrymen,  laborers, — black  and  white, — 
carriages,  wagons,  and  carts,  a  confused  rabble  of 
thousands  of  men,  women,  and  children,  riding, 
driving,  and  running  helter-skelter,  striving  who 
should  first  gain  admittance  into  the  Executive 
Mansion,  where,  it  was  understood,  refreshments 
were  to  be  distributed. 

"The    halls,"    wrote    Mrs.    Smith,    "were    filled    with    a 

disorderly    rabble    of    negroes,    boys,    women,    and    children, 

scrambling  for  the  refreshments  designed  for  the  drawing-rooms  ! 

the  people  forcing  their  way  into  the  saloons,  mingling  with  the 

236 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


foreigners  and  citizens  surrounding  the  President.  .  .  .  China  and 
glass  to  the  amount  of  several  thousand  dollars  were  broken  in 
the  struggle  to  get  at  the  ices  and  cakes,  though  punch  and  other 
drinkables  had  been  carried  out  in  tubs  and  buckets  to  the  people  ; 
but  had  it  been  in  hogsheads  it  would  have  been  insufficient  be- 
sides unsatisfactory  to  the  mob,  who  claimed  equality  in  all 
things.  .  .  .  The  confusion  became  more  and  more  appalling. 
At  one  moment  the  President,  who  had  retreated  until  he  was 
pressed  against  the  wall  of  the  apartment,  could  only  be  se- 
cured against  serious  danger  by  a  number  of  gentlemen  linking 
arms  and  forming  themselves  into  a  barrier.  It  was  then  that 
the  windows  were  thrown  open  and  the  living  torrent  found  an 
outlet.  ...  It  was  the  People's  day,  the  People's  President, 
and  the  People  would  rule  !" 

The  number  of  persons  who  offered  their  con- 
gratulations to  the  new  President,  or  engaged  in 
the  disorderly  scramble  to  enter  the  White  House, 
was  estimated  by  joumalists  of  the  day  as  upwards 
of  ten  thousand.  Judge  Story,  who  had  been 
a  warm  supporter  of  Mr.  Adams,  said  that  after 
the  President  returned  to  the  "  palace"  he  was 
"visited  by  an  immense  crowd  of  all  sorts  of 
people,  from  the  highest  and  most  polished  down 
to  the  most  vulgar  and  gross  in  the  nation." 
Some  of  these  visitors,  it  is  said,  were  so  rude 
and  lawless  that  in  their  eagerness  to  see  the  Presi- 
dent they  stood  with  muddy  boots  upon  the 
satin  damask  chairs.  The  simplicity  attending  the 
inaugural  ceremonies,  the  absence  of  military  feat- 
ures, and  the  omission  of  the  usual  evening  recep- 
237 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

tion  and  ball  were  not  simply  in  deference  to  the 
General's  democratic  ideas,  but  because  his  life  was 
overshadowed  by  a  great  sorrow  which  had  recently 
overtaken  him  in  the  death  of  his  wife. 

In  a  letter  written  soon  after  the  inauguration, 
Mrs.  Smith  pictured  the  gloom  and  depression  of 
the  social  life  of  the  capital  caused  by  the  mourning 
at  the  White  House  and  by  a  rumor  of  many 
changes  to  be  made  in  official  circles.* 

"  Never  before  did  the  city  seem  to  me  so  gloomy — so  many 
changes  in  society — so  many  families  broken  up,  and  those  of 
the  first  distinction  and  who  gave  a  tone  to  society.  Those  ele- 
gantly furnished  houses,  stripped  of  their  splendid  furniture — 
that  furniture  exposed  to  public  sale — those  drawing-rooms, 
brilliantly  illuminated,  in  which  I  have  so  often  mixed  with  gay 
crowds,  distinguished  by  rank,  fashion,  beauty,  talent — resound- 
ing with  festive  sounds — now,  empty,  silent,  dark,  dismantled. 
Oh  !  'tis  melancholy  !  Mrs.  Clay's,  Mrs.  Southard's,  Mrs. 
Porter's  houses  exhibit  this  spectacle — They  are  completely 
stripped — the  furniture  all  sold — the  families,  for  the  few  days 
they  remained  after  the  sale — uncomfortably  crowded  in  one 
little  room.  The  doors  shut  on  company  and  only  one  or  two 
intimate  friends  admitted — Nor  does  the  entry,  of  the  trium- 
phant party,  relieve  this  universal  gloom — Alas  !  it  only  adds  to 
it — Gen.  Jackson's  family  in  deep  mourning — secludes  them 
from  society, — they  are 'not  known,  or  seen,  except  at  formal 
morning  visits — They  quietly  took  possession  of  the  big  house. 


*  Unpublished  letters  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Harrison  Smith,  writ- 
ten to  her  son,  J,  Bayard  H.  Smith,  while  at  Princeton  College. 
Mrs.  Smith  was  the  author  of  two  books  much  read  in  their 
day,  '*  A  Winter  in  Washington"  and  '<  What  is  Gentility  ?" 
238 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


where  if  they  choose  they  may  remain  invisible,  and  as  much 
separated  from  social  intercourse,  as  if  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mountams — But  what  most  adds  to  the  general  gloom — is  the 
rumour  of  a  general  proscription — Every  individual,  connected 
with  the  government,  from  the  highest  officer  to  the  lowest  clerk, 
is  filled  with  apprehension. ' ' 

Mrs.  Smith  seems  to  have  been  a  woman  singu- 
larly free  from  prejudice.  An  ardent  admirer  of 
Henry  Clay,  who  was  a  frequent  guest  at  her 
house,  she  was  able  to  find  much  to  admire  in  his 
inveterate  enemy  Andrew  Jackson.  Regretting 
with  Josiah  Quincy  the  passing  away  of  a  more 
elegant  and  dignified  order  of  ceremonies  at  the 
White  House,  and  deploring  with  Mr.  Rush  and 
Mr.  Clay  the  radical  changes  made  in  the  official, 
diplomatic,  and  consular  service  with  the  incoming 
of  a  different  party,  this  large-minded  woman  was 
pleased  to  record  the  agreeable  impression  made 
upon  her  mind  by  her  own  reception  at  the  White 
House.  As  there  were  no  levees  or  drawing- 
rooms,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison  Smith  called  in- 
formally and  were  received  by  Miss  Eastin,  a  niece 
of  Mrs.  Jackson.  The  President  came  into  the 
drawing-room  during  the  visit,  and  entertained  his 
guests  with  courtesy  and  cordiality. 

The  presiding  genius  of  the  White  House  in  the 

early  years  of  this  administration  was  Mrs.  Andrew 

Jackson  Donelson,  whose  husband,  a  nephew  of 

Mrs.  Jackson,  was  the  President's  private  secretary. 

239 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Of  this  young  matron,  who  Is  described  as  a  beau- 
tiful blonde  with  a  graceful  and  elegant  figure, 
Cora  Livingston  wrote  to  her  uncle.  Major  Daver- 
sac,  then  charge  d'affaires  in  Holland,  "  Mrs. 
Donelson,  the  President's  adopted  daughter,  who 
presides  at  the  White  House,  is  a  beautiful,  accom- 
plished, and  charming  woman,  with  wonderful  tact 
and  delightfully  magnetic  manners.  Though  the 
mother  of  two  children,  she  might  pass  for  sweet 
sixteen.     Everybody  is  in  love  with  her." 

Apprehension  gave  place  to  dismay  in  the  Wash- 
ington world  when  the  President's  Cabinet  ap- 
pointments were  announced,  especially  when  it 
transpired  that  General  Eaton  had  been  made 
Secretary  of  War.  The  prevailing  sentiment  in 
social  and  political  life  may  be  gathered  from  a 
letter  written  by  a  woman  whose  husband  was  in 
constant  communication  with  the  official  circles 
of  the  capital : 

"Last  week  it  was  considered  certainly  fixed — Van  Buren, 
for  state  depart — Ingham,  for  the  Treasury,  Genl.  Eaton  for 
the  war,  Govn.  Branch  for  the  Navy,  and  Mr.  Berrien,  At- 
torney Genl.  Astonishment  and  disappointment  filled  the  minds 
of  friends  and  foes — with  the  exception  of  Van  B — the  cabinet 
was  pronounced  too  feeble  to  stand  and  every  one  said  such  an 
administration  must  soon  fall — Remonstrances  were  made  by  the 
Tennessee  delegation  in  a  body,  (so  it  is  said)  against  Genl  E's 
appointment.  .  .  .  Every  one  acknowledges  Genl.  Eaton's 
talents  and  virtues — but  his  late  unfortunate  connection,  is  an 
obstacle  to  his  receiving  a  place  of  honour,  which  it  is  appre- 
240 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


hended  even  Genl.  Jackson's  firmness  cannot  resist — It  is  a  pity 
— Every  one  that  knows  esteems,  and  many  love  him  for  his 
benevolence  and  amiability.  Oh,  woman,  woman  ! — The  rumour 
of  yesterday  was,  that  he  was  to  have  no  place  at  home,  but  be 
sent  abroad — so  it  was  added  (tho'  evidently  for  the  joke  of  it) 
that  he  was  to  be  sent  to  Hayti,  that  being  the  most  proper  Court 
for  her  to  reside  in.  .  .  .  Every  one  thinks  there  is  great  con- 
fusion and  difficulty,  mortification  and  disappointment  at  the 
Wigwam — as  they  call  the  General's  lodgings." 


It  was  not  thought  strange  that  the  President 
should  have  appointed  an  old  Tennessee  friend  to 
an  important  office,  especially  as  John  H.  Eaton 
had  creditably  represented  his  State  in  the  Senate 
for  ten  years.  The  head  and  front  of  his  offending 
was  his  giving  the  Bureau  of  War  to  Eaton  after 
his  marriage  with  the  dashing  Widow  Timberlake. 

It  should  be  explained,  in  justification  of  the 
position  taken  by  the  Cabinet  ladies  at  this  time, 
that  their  objection  to  Mrs.  Eaton  was  not  simply 
that  she  was  the  daughter  of  an  Irish  tavern-keeper, 
but  in  consequence  of  the  scandal  associated 
with  her  name  before  and  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Timberlake,  especially  in  connection  with  General 
Eaton.  How  fully  the  President  understood  Mrs. 
Eaton's  character  it  is  impossible  to  say.  He  cer- 
tainly had  had  ample  opportunities  of  knowing 
her  during  earlier  visits  to  Washington,  when  he 
stopped  at  William  O'Neill's  tavem.  Even  if  Presi- 
dent Jackson  was  himself  disposed  to  overlook  the 

i6  241 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

indiscretions  of  this  brilliantly  beautiful  woman  in 
consequence  of  her  unprotected  and  much  exposed 
girlhood,  his  attempt  to  command  a  place  for  her 
among  the  decorous  and  well-bred  women  of 
official  circles  in  Washington  was  certainly  arbitrary 
and  ill-advised. 

It  seems  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  adminis- 
tration of  one  of  the  most  independent  and  virile 
of  our  Presidents  should  have  been  that  in  which 
women  proved  a  dominating  force.  That  Peggy 
O'Neill,  afterwards  Mrs.  Timberlake,  and  later  Mrs. 
John  H.  Eaton,  a  beautiful,  audacious,  and  en- 
tirely unconventional  woman,  should  have  during 
the  early  years  of  President  Jackson's  administra- 
tion become  an  important  factor  in  political  pre- 
ferment seems  almost  incredible.  Yet  so  violent 
was  the  social  storm  raised  by  General  Eaton's 
marriage  and  by  the  President's  championship  of 
the  bride,  that  Mr.  Webster  wrote,  "  It  is  odd,  but 
the  consequences  of  this  desperate  turmoil  in  the 
social  and  fashionable  world  may  determine  who 
shall  succeed  the  present  Chief  Magistrate." 

Mrs.  Calhoun  positively  refused  to  visit  Mrs. 
Eaton,  which  naturally  increased  the  strained  rela- 
tions already  existing  between  the  President  and 
Mr.  Calhoun.  Mr.  Van  Buren,  being  a  widower 
and  unhampered  by  feminine  convenances,  was  in  a 
position  to  offer  courtesies  to  the  bride,  which  he 
promptly  did,  and  succeeded  in  inducing  two  lega- 
242 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


tion  bachelors,  the  British  and  Russian  ministers, 
Mr.  Vaughan  and  Baron  Krudener,  to  pay  attention 
to  the  fair  "  Bellona,"  as  Mrs.  Eaton  had  been 
dubbed  in  one  of  the  journals  of  the  day.  Balls 
were  given  by  Mr.  Vaughan  and  the  Russian  min- 
ister, assisted  by  Mr.  Van  Buren,  at  which  it  was 
arranged  that  Mrs.  Eaton  should  be  accorded  the 
place  of  honor  at  supper  and  in  the  dance.  These 
amiable  gentlemen,  however  extensive  may  have 
been  their  knowledge  of  international  diplomacy, 
were  quite  unversed  in  feminine  finesse,  and  great 
was  their  consternation  when  they  beheld  substan- 
tial Cabinet  dames  float  away  and  vanish  into  thin 
air  upon  the  approach  of  the  radiant  and  faultlessly 
attired  "  Bellona,"  while  cotillion  after  cotillion  dis- 
solved into  its  original  elements  when  she  was  given 
the  place  at  its  head.  At  a  very  elegant  ball,  given 
by  the  Russian  minister,  the  coup  de  grace  was 
given  when  Mrs.  Huygens,  wife  of  the  Dutch 
minister,  upon  being  conducted  to  a  seat  at  the 
supper-table  beside  Mrs.  Eaton,  took  her  husband's 
arm  and  with  great  dignity  left:  the  room. 

That  the  anti-Calhoun  faction  magnified  the  im- 
portance of  the  Cabinet  ladies'  opposition  to  Mrs. 
Eaton  there  can  be  no  doubt.  How  much  Mr. 
Van  Buren 's  championship  of  the  fair  Bellona  in- 
fluenced his  promotion  cannot  be  so  readily  ascer- 
tained, as  he  had  already  rendered  the  President 
valuable  service  in  the  campaign  of  1828.  In 
243 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

accordance  with  a  carefully  arranged  plan,  Mr.  Van 
Buren  resigned  the  portfolio  of  State  in  1831,  and 
was  promptly  appointed  minister  to  the  Court  of 
St.  James,  from  which  he  returned  later  to  serve  as 
a  candidate  for  Vice-President  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  of  1832.  His  election  to  this  office  was  a 
stepping-stone  to  the  Presidency  in  1837. 

Mrs.  Calhoun  persisted  in  her  refusal  to  recog- 
nize Mrs.  Eaton,  who,  with  all  her  beauty  and 
vivacity,  seems  to  have  possessed  no  attraction  for 
refined  and  cultivated  women.  The  other  Cabinet 
and  diplomatic  ladies  upheld  her.  The  President 
expostulated  in  vain  with  the  members  of  his 
Cabinet,  who,  retreating  behind  the  aphorism  so 
convenient  in  social  matters,  place  aux  dames,  de- 
clared themselves  quite  powerless  to  alter  the  decree 
of  their  rebellious  partners.  In  this  dilemma  their 
chief  might  have  been  expected  to  sympathize,  as 
his  niece,  Mrs.  Donelson,  maintained  the  same  un- 
compromising attitude  towards  the  wife  of  the 
Secretary  of  War, 

To  have  been  the  cause  of  Mrs.  Donelson's 
leaving  the  White  House,  while  she  remained,  in 
high  favor,  championed  by  the  President,  the  Sec- 
retary of  State,  and  the  foreign  ministers,  was  no 
small  triumph  for  this  most  audacious  Peggy. 
With  her  Irish  love  of  adventure  and  broil,  she 
was  like  a  war-horse  scenting  the  fray  from  near 
and  from  afar.     Rejoicing  in  the  clash  of  arms  and 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


tongues  that  she  had  stirred  up,  with  a  keen  zest  of 
the  humor  of  the  situation,  and  all  unhampered  by 
any  feeling  of  delicacy  on  account  of  the  publicity 
of  her  position,  Mrs.  Eaton  entertained  herself  and 
her  zealous  champions  by  enacting  for  them 
graphic  and  highly  colored  scenes  from  this 
Bataille  aux  Dames,  of  which  she  herself  was  the 
casus  belli. 

A  curiously  undignified  picture  was  presented  by 
the  President  of  the  United  States  during  the  Eaton 
imbroglio.  At  one  moment  he  exhausted  elo- 
quence and  invective  in  trying  to  persuade  or  com- 
mand his  Cabinet  officers  to  use  their  influence 
upon  their  refractory  consorts ;  and  when  both  ar- 
guments and  threats  failed  he  was  heard  swearing 
by  the  strong  oath  to  which  he  was  addicted,  "  By 
the  Eternal,  the  spitefiil  cats  who  plagued  the  life 
out  of  my  patient  Rachel  shall  not  scratch  this 
brave  little  Peggy !"  An  undignified  picture  was 
this,  and  yet  one  most  characteristic  of  this  man 
of  the  people,  dominating,  hot-headed,  often  wrong- 
headed,  obstinate,  impulsive,  and  at  the  same  time 
generous,  unselfish,  and  always  tender  and  chivalrous 
in  his  devotion  to  womankind. 

By  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  could  Andrew 
Jackson  have  been  considered  a  carpet  knight, 
although  a  certain  courtly  deference  in  the  presence 
of  women  invariably  won  for  him  their  friendship 
and  affection  ;  and  no  knight  of  the  days  of  chivalry 
245 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

was  more  ready  to  champion  the  cause  of  maid 
or  matron  in  distress  than  was  this  frontier  soldier. 
Jackson's  attitude  towards  women,  which  was 
much  more  than  an  external  and  superficial  defer- 
ence, had  been  a  marked  characteristic  from  early 
years,  when  the  fate  of  an  heroic  and  devoted 
mother  who  met  her  death  on  her  way  to  Charles- 
ton to  care  for  the  wounded  soldiers  there,  had,  as 
he  revealed  to  several  intimate  friends,  consecrated 
all  womankind  for  him. 

It  is  impossible  to  understand  the  position  taken 
by  the  President  at  this  time  without  recurring  to 
some  earlier  incidents  of  his  career.  The  events 
that  preceded  his  marriage  have  been  so  little  un- 
derstood and  so  grossly  misrepresented  by  partisan 
joumals  that  it  seems  far  more  just  to  this  man  to 
repeat  the  explanation  given  by  contemporaries  than 
to  gloss  over  the  affair.  Judge  Overton,  in  his 
account  of  Jackson's  marriage,  written  in  1827, 
says  that  when  he  decided  to  settle  in  what  was  then 
called  West  Tennessee  he  solicited  Mrs.  Donelson, 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Lewis  Robards,  to  give  him 
board  in  her  house,  good  accommodations  being 
rare  in  that  part  of  the  country.  About  the  same 
time  Andrew  Jackson  entered  the  family,  of  which 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robards  were  also  inmates. 

'*Here,"  says  Judge  Overton,  "  we  lived  in  the  same  cabin 
room  and  slept  in  the  same   bed   as  young  men  of  the  same 
pursuits  and  profession,  and  with  few  others  in  the  country  with 
246 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


whom  to  associate,  besides  sharing,  as  we  frequently  did,  com- 
mon dangers,  such  an  intimacy  ensued  as  might  reasonably  be 
expected. 

**  Not  many  months  elapsed  before  Robards  became  jealous 
of  Jackson,  which,  I  feel  confident  was  without  the  least 
ground.  Some  of  his  irritating  conversation  on  this  subject, 
with  his  wife,  I  heard  amidst  the  tears  of  herself  and  her 
mother." 

Judge  Overton  says  that  Jackson  was  very  much 
disturbed  by  the  thought  that  he  had  caused  trouble 
between  Robards  and  his  wife,  who  is  described  as 
a  gentle,  sensitive  woman,  while  of  Jackson  his 
friend  wrote,  "  in  his  singularly  delicate  sense  of 
honor,  and  in  what  I  thought  his  chivalrous  con- 
ception of  the  female  sex,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
he  was  distinguishable  from  every  other  person 
with  whom  I  was  acquainted." 

Instead  of  leaving  Mrs.  Donelson's  home,  as 
Jackson  was  advised  to  do  by  Judge  Overton,  he, 
with  lamentable  want  of  tact  and  understanding  of 
human  nature,  undertook  to  remonstrate  with  Lewis 
Robards  upon  his  treatment  of  his  wife.  It  is  said 
that  Jackson's  chivalrous  feeling  towards  the  perse- 
cuted wife  so  far  overcame  his  judgment  that  he  ex- 
claimed, "  If  I  had  such  a  wife,  I  would  not  willingly 
bring  a  tear  to  her  beautiful  eyes !"  To  which 
Robards  wrathfuUy  retorted,  "  Well,  perhaps  it  is  a 
mistake,  but  she  is  not  your  wife."  From  this  be- 
ginning the  domestic  infelicities  of  the  Robards 
family  rapidly  passed  from  bad  to  worse.  Lewis 
247 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Robards  seemed  to  have  been  possessed  of  a  moody 
and  revengeful  disposition.  A  member  of  Mrs. 
Jackson's  family,  in  writing  of  this  episode,  says  of 
Mr.  Robards, — 

*'  He  was  handsome,  well  educated,  polished  in  manner  and 
conversation,  far  superior  to  any  man  of  her  acquaintance  in 
those  attributes  supposed  to  have  fascination  for  women  ;  but, 
high-tempeied,  jealous-hearted,  he  proved  a  cruel,  tyrannical 
husband. 

"There  are  men — and  men  not  altogether  bad — with  whose 
affections  there  mingles  a  strain  of  singular  perverseness.  If 
they  have  pets — cats,  dogs,  birds  and  horses — they  tease  and 
torment  them,  and  their  wives  and  children  are  alternate  victims 
and  idols.  Robards  belonged  to  this  category.  He  doubtlessly 
loved  his  wife,  but  with  a  passion  that  blighted,  violent  love 
scenes  would  end  in  jealous  wrangles,  cruel  taunts  and  upbraid- 
ings  follow  flattering  endearments." 

Robards  continued  to  foster  his  jealous  wrath 
against  his  wife  and  young  Jackson  until  it  gained 
the  mastery  over  his  common  sense  and  led  him  to 
apply  to  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  for  a  divorce. 
The  romantic  and  emotional  side  of  Andrew  Jack- 
son's nature  was  evidently  dominant  in  these  early 
days,  to  the  exclusion  of  prudence  and  good 
judgment.  His  sympathy  was  excited  by  the 
misfortunes  of  a  charming  young  woman,  and  he 
was  too  frank  and  unguarded  in  his  expressions  of 
interest  and  friendship,  in  view  of  the  jealous  nature 
of  her  husband.  It  is  quite  possible  that  Jackson 
248 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


did  not  realize  how  deeply  his  affections  were  en- 
gaged until,  at  Colonel  Stark's  request,  he  had  set 
forth  as  one  of  the  little  party  which  had  been  gath- 
ered together  to  protect  Mrs.  Robards  upon  her 
journey  from  Nashville  to  Natchez.  Colonel  Stark, 
a  valued  friend  of  the  Donelsons,  had  asked  Jack- 
son to  accompany  the  party,  feeling  that  he  needed 
a  stronger  force,  in  view  of  some  disturbances 
among  the  Indians  in  that  part  of  the  country. 
Mrs.  Robards  was  making  this  journey  to  some 
friends  in  Natchez,  with  her  mother's  knowledge 
and  consent,  in  order  to  escape  a  command  of  Mr. 
Robards  to  return  to  him. 

Soon  after  Jackson's  journey  to  Natchez  he 
heard  that  Robards  had  applied  for  a  divorce  from 
his  wife,  and,  without  waiting  to  assure  himself  that 
it  had  been  granted,  he  asked  Mrs.  Donelson  for 
permission  to  marry  her  daughter.  To  the  mother's 
query,  "  Mr.  Jackson,  would  you  sacrifice  your  life 
to  save  my  child's  good  name  ?"  the  young  man 
answered,  with  characteristic  fervor,  "  Ten  thousand 
lives,  madam,  if  I  had  them !" 

The  following  summer  Jackson  returned  to 
Natchez,  married  Mrs.  Robards,  and  brought  her 
back  to  Nashville. 

Judge  Overton,  in  writing  upon  this  much-dis- 
cussed question,  says  that  he  himself  was  under  the 
impression  that  the  Virginia  Legislature  had  granted 
the  divorce  applied  for  by  Lewis  Robards,  and  did 
249 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

not  learn  anything  to  the  contrary  until  December, 
1793,  when  Jackson  and  Mrs.  Robards  had  been 
married  for  two  years,  and  were  living  near  Nash- 
ville, beloved  and  esteemed  by  all  classes.  He 
adds  that,  upon  learning  that  the  divorce  had  not 
been  granted  in  1791  by  the  Legislature  of  Vir- 
ginia, but  had  been  granted  by  Mercer  Court  in 
Kentucky  two  years  later,  he  informed  General 
Jackson  of  this  circumstance,  which  greatly  sur- 
prised and  distressed  him. 

Acting  upon  Judge  Overton's  advice,  Jackson 
immediately  obtained  a  license,  and,  in  the  presence 
of  a  number  of  persons,  had  the  marriage  ceremony 
again  performed. 

Jackson's  carelessness  in  not  investigating  the 
legal  bearings  of  the  case  seems  absolutely  unpar- 
donable ;  yet  Judge  Overton,  according  to  his  own 
statement,  was  equally  ignorant  that  the  Virginia 
court  applied  to  had  not  the  power  to  grant  a 
divorce. 


"The  circumstances  of  the  marriage  were  such,"  says  Mr. 
Sumner,  "as  to  provoke  scandal  at  the  time,  and  the  scandal, 
which  in  the  case  of  a  more  obscure  man  would  have  died  out 
during  thirty  years  of  honorable  wedlock,  came  up  over  and  over 
again  during  Jackson' s  career.  It  is  plain  that  Jackson  himself 
was  to  blame  for  contracting  a  marriage  under  ambiguous  cir- 
cumstances, and  for  not  protecting  his  wife's  honor  by  precau- 
tions, such  as  finding  out  the  exact  terms  of  the  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature of  Virginia.  Having  put  her  in  a  false  position,  against 
250 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


which  as  a  man  and  a  lawyer,  he  should  have  protected  her,  he 
was  afterwards  led  by  his  education  and  the  current  ways  of 
thinking  in  the  society  about  him  to  try  to  treat  the  defects  of  his 
marriage  certificate  by  shooting  any  man  who  dared  to  state  the 
truth,  that  said  certificate  was  irregular." 

This  was  literally  true,  as  the  famous  duel  with 
Charles  Dickinson,  fought  in  1806,  was  the  result 
of  some  disparaging  remark  made  about  Jackson's 
marriage  with  Mrs.  Robards. 

The  campaign  of  1828  was  full  of  bitter  per- 
sonalities. Against  Jackson  were  brought  up  the 
irregularity  of  his  marriage  and  every  salient  feature 
of  his  strenuous  frontier  life  and  more  or  less  des- 
potic military  governorship  that  could  be  discov- 
ered or  invented,  while  Mr.  Adams  was  charged 
with  having  made  a  corrupt  promise  to  Mr.  Clay, 
with  being  a  monarchist  and  an  aristocrat,  with 
having  married  an  English  woman,  with  being  rich, 
with  being  in  debt,  with  receiving  large  sums  of 
public  money,  with  quarrelling  with  his  father,  with 
corruping  the  public  confidence,  with  having  a  bil- 
liard-table put  in  the  White  House  at  the  public 
expense,  and  with  many  other  accusations  equally 
absurd  or  equally  false.  These,  a  few  among  many 
charges  made  against  President  Adams,  are  cited  to 
show  that  General  Jackson  was  not  the  only  sufferer 
from  malicious  tongues  and  joumals  in  this  cam- 
paign, although  he,  being  as  deeply  hated  by  one 
party  as  he  was  enthusiastically  beloved  by  the 
251 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

other,  suffered  more  at  the  hands  of  his  enemies 
than  the  rival  candidate. 

When  the  news  of  her  husband's  nomination 
was  communicated  to  Mrs.  Jackson,  she  remarked, 
with  evident  sincerity  and  a  keen  appreciation  of 
the  sacrifice  of  domestic  happiness  that  this  step 
involved,  "  Well,  for  Mr.  Jackson's  sake  I  am  glad ; 
for  my  own  part,  I  never  wished  it." 

One  tale  that  has  been  related  of  Mrs.  Jackson 
is  that  during  a  shopping  expedition  to  Nashville, 
soon  after  the  election,  she  picked  up  a  paper  while 
resting  at  an  inn,  and  read  some  of  the  scurrilous 
charges  made  against  her  husband  and  herself  As 
the  story  runs,  the  poor  lady,  from  whom  the 
papers  had  been  carefully  secreted,  was  so  shocked 
and  distressed  that  she  never  recovered  from  the 
blow,  and  died  soon  after.  The  story  told  by  a 
member  of  Mrs.  Jackson's  family  is  somewhat 
different,  and  is  probably  the  correct  version  of  a 
very  sad  experience.  After  the  election,  when 
preparations  were  being  made  for  leaving  the  Her- 
mitage for  Washington,  Mrs.  Jackson  was  obliged 
to  go  to  Nashville  to  have  some  dresses  fitted.  The 
occasion  of  "  Mistus"  going  to  town  was  always 
quite  an  affair  among  the  colored  people.  They 
gathered  around  her  as  she  left  the  house,  each  one 
asking  her  not  to  forget  him  or  her.  One  was  to 
have  a  ribbon,  others  a  kerchief,  a  bandana,  or 
some  little  gift.  Mrs.  Jackson  drove  away  from  her 
252 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


home  in  good  spirits,  accompanied  by  her  husband, 
who  always  rode  beside  his  wife's  carriage  as  far  as 
Stone's  River.  After  she  reached  Nashville  and 
attended  to  her  dress-making  and  shopping,  Mrs. 
Jackson,  being  very  much  fatigued,  went  to  the 
principal  inn  to  rest  before  starting  upon  her  twelve- 
mile  drive  to  the  Hermitage.  Reclining  on  a  sofa 
in  the  back  parlor,  the  folding  doors  between  it  and 
the  front  room  being  closed,  she  heard  her  name 
spoken,  followed  by  a  repetition  of  campaign  slan- 
ders, many  of  them  heard  by  her  for  the  first  time, 
cruel  suggestions  as  to  the  practicability  of  getting 
rid  of  her,  remarks  upon  her  appearance  and  man- 
ner, and  unkind  predictions  of  the  impression  she 
would  make  in  Washington  society.  Before  she 
was  able  to  escape  from  the  room  the  poor  lady 
had  heard  enough  to  make  her  very  unhappy. 
When  asked  afterwards  why  she  did  not  make  her 
presence  known,  she  answered,  with  characteristic 
amiability,  "  I  supposed  they  did  not  know  I  heard 
them,  and  would  be  hurt  if  they  found  out  I  had." 
All  through  the  long  drive  home  the  cruel  words 
kept  ringing  in  Mrs.  Jackson's  ears.  When  her 
husband  met  her  at  Stone's  River  he  noticed  that 
she  looked  tired  and  spiritless,  and  said  to  her, 
"  What  is  the  matter,  my  love  *?"  but  could  draw 
nothing  from  her.  Mrs.  Jackson  afterwards  told  her 
niece  what  had  happened.  Mrs.  Donelson  begged 
her  not  to  think  again  of  the  words  of  the  ill- 
253 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

natured  gossips,  to  which  she  answered,  sadly,  "  I 
cannot  help  thinking  of  it,  Emily,  because  it  is  true. 
I  will  be  no  advantage  to  my  husband  at  the 
White  House,  and  I  wish  never  to  go  there  and 
disgrace  him.  You  will  go  and  take  care  of  his 
house  for  him,  and  I  will  stay  here  and  take  care 
of  everything  until  he  comes  back,  as  often  before 
in  Mr.  Jackson's  absences." 

In  the  weeks  that  followed,  Mrs.  Jackson  often 
seemed  feeble  and  depressed  without  being  actually 
ill.  On  the  day  of  a  grand  ball  to  be  given  in 
Nashville  in  the  General's  honor,  the  date  chosen 
being  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New  Or- 
leans, Mrs.  Jackson  urged  her  husband  to  go  and 
rest  before  dressing  for  the  ball.  He  left  her, 
telling  the  family  to  send  for  him  if  his  wife  wanted 
him.  A  few  minutes  after  he  had  left  the  room, 
Mrs.  Jackson  called  her  niece  and  said  that  she  felt 
ill,  and  had  difficulty  in  getting  her  breath.  The 
General  was  summoned,  and  in  a  few  moments  she 
died  in  his  arms.  Her  husband  and  those  who 
were  with  her  constantly  said  that  Mrs.  Jackson 
had  never  been  the  same  since  her  visit  to  Nash- 
ville, and  one  of  the  old  servants  who  met  her  on 
her  return  declared  that  "  Mistus  looked  like  she'd 
been  shot  in  the  heart."  It  seemed,  indeed,  as  if 
the  tender  heart  of  this  gentle,  affectionate  creature 
had  been  wounded  past  healing.  To  an  intimate 
friend  she  had  said,  in  view  of  the  unpleasant 
254 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


gossip  about  her  marriage,  "  To  think  of  my 
bringing  trouble  to  the  good  man  who  released 
me  from  wretchedness  and  has  made  my  life  so 
happy !" 

Mrs.  Jackson  was  unquestionably  ailing  for  some 
months  before  her  death.  Grief  and  depression  of 
spirits  may  have  hastened  the  end,  without  being 
the  actual  cause  of  her  death,  as  her  husband,  in 
the  bitterness  of  his  anguish,  seems  to  have  believed. 
With  this  fresh  grief  in  his  heart,  feeling  that  his 
gentle  Rachel's  life  had  been  shortened  by  the 
tongue  of  slander,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  warm- 
hearted and  chivalrous  Jackson,  to  whom  the  tra- 
ditions and  conventionalities  of  society  were  as 
nothing  in  comparison  with  the  happiness  of  one 
fellow-creature,  was  ready  to  champion  the  first 
woman  in  distress  whom  he  chanced  to  meet.  The 
fact  that  the  woman  in  question,  the  dashing  Widow 
Timberlake,  was  as  different  from  his  gentle,  inno- 
cent-minded Rachel  as  night  from  day  made  no  dif- 
ference to  him.  Peggy  was  persecuted,  his  friend 
Eaton  was  about  to  marry  her,  and,  right  or  wrong, 
she  should  have  her  place  in  the  society  of  the 
capital.  If  this  woman's  walk  and  conversation 
had  not  been  above  reproach,  there  was  reason  the 
stronger  for  defending  her  and  starting  her  again  in 
the  right  direction.  So  argued,  with  rare  clemency, 
this  man  who  at  certain  periods  of  his  military  and 
political  career  had  shown  himself  implacable  to- 
255 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

wards  his  foes,  tyrannical  in  the  use  of  power,  and 
at  times  overbearing  and  cruel. 

The  merits  of  this  curious  episode  in  the  social 
life  of  the  capital  are  still  discussed  by  old  inhabi- 
tants. Warm  admirers  of  President  Jackson  con- 
tend that  he  had  a  right  to  insist  that  the  Cabinet 
ladies  should  treat  Mrs.  Eaton  with  civility  when 
they  met  her  in  official  circles,  which  was  all  that 
he  demanded,  while  others  consider  his  position  arbi- 
trary and  unreasonable. 

General  Eaton  finally  cut  the  Gordian  knot  by 
tendering  his  resignation.  The  President  soon  after 
appointed  him  governor  of  the  recently  acquired 
Territory  of  Florida,  from  which  he  was  advanced 
to  the  more  congenial  position  of  minister  to 
Spain.  At  the  Court  of  Madrid  Mrs.  Eaton  spent 
the  happiest  years  of  her  life. 

General  Eaton  died  in  1859,  ^^^  ^^^  widow, 
who  retained  her  remarkable  beauty  to  an  advanced 
age,  distinguished  herself  by  eloping  with  the  young 
dancing-master  who  was  engaged  to  instruct  her 
grandchildren.  That  this  marriage  was  one  of  con- 
venience to  the  dancing-master  was  proved  soon 
after  by  his  appropriating  to  himself  all  of  the 
bride's  jewels  and  available  money,  with  which  he 
retired  from  the  scene,  accompanied  by  the  young 
and  beautiftil  granddaughter  of  his  elderly  consort. 

Mrs.  Donelson,  who  had  retired  to  her  Ten- 
nessee home  during  the  Eaton  imbroglio,  returned 
256 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


to  the  White  House,  and  again  presided  over  its 
dinners  and  drawing-rooms.  Another  woman  who 
sometimes  received  the  President's  guests  in  the 
"Round  Room,"  as  the  Blue  Room  was  then 
called,  was  Mrs.  Andrew  Jackson,  the  wife  of 
General  Jackson's  adopted  son.  This  young 
woman,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Yorke,  of  Philadel- 
phia, is  described  as  lovely  and  attractive  in  man- 
ners and  conversation.  The  General  became  very 
much  attached  to  young  Mrs.  Jackson.  Upon  one 
occasion,  when  receiving  a  deputation  from  the 
Keystone  State,  he  met  its  members  with  the  pleas- 
ant remark,  "  Gentlemen,  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you,  for  I  am  much  indebted  to  Pennsylvania. 
She  has  given  me  a  daughter  who  is  a  great  com- 
fort to  her  father." 

Mrs,  Edward  Livingston  and  her  daughter  were 
frequently  at  the  White  House,  Mr.  Livingston 
being  Secretary  of  State  under  the  Jackson  admin- 
istration. A  warm  friendship  had  existed  between 
these  two  families  ever  since  the  eventful  winter 
of  1815  in  New  Orleans,  when  the  General  had 
sworn  his  favorite  oath  that  he  would  hang  an 
English  officer,  who  was  his  prisoner,  "  as  high  as 
Haman"  if  the  British  dared  to  touch  a  hair  of  Ed- 
ward Livingston's  head.  Cora  Livingston  had  been 
a  favorite  of  the  old  soldier  from  her  childhood, 
and  when  Mrs.  Donelson's  little  girl,  Mary  Emily, 
was  bom,  she  stood  as  godmother  to  the  White 
17  257 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

House  baby,  at  the  especial  request  of  the  Presi- 
dent. Miss  Livingston  married  Mr.  Thomas  Pen- 
nant Barton  in  1833,  and  her  father  being  giver 
the  EngUsh  mission  about  this  time,  the  President 
sent  Mrs.  Barton  an  appointment  for  her  husbanc 
as  secretary  of  legation  at  Paris,  that  she  might  have 
the  pleasure  of  presenting  it  to  him  with  her  owr 
hands. 

Other  guests  who  were  frequently  at  the  White 
House  were  Mrs.  John  Macomb,  Mrs.  Rives,  Mrs 
Watson  and  her  daughters.  Miss  Rebecca  McLane, 
and  Miss  Blair.  Mrs.  Wilcox  speaks  of  Miss 
Mary  Tutt,  afterwards  Mrs.  Thorndyke,  of  New 
York,  as  often  at  the  White  House  with  Mrs, 
Donelson,  and  of  Miss  Mary  Eastin,  who  was 
married  there  to  Lucius  J.  Polk,  a  cousin  of  the 
future  President.*  Lucius  Polk,  a  man  of  fine 
presence  and  much  dignity,  when  asked  in  latei 
years  whether  he  was  a  member  of  the  family  of 
President  Polk,  was  wont  to  reply,  with  consider- 

*  Mary  Eastin,  afterwards  Mrs.  Lucius  J.  Polk,  was  one  of 
Mrs.  Jackson's  many  nieces.  Mrs.  Wilcox  was  a  great-niece. 
This  little  girl,  the  third  child  born  in  the  White  House,  was 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Jackson  Donelson.  The 
President's  family  was  confiising  at  this  time,  as  Mrs.  Jackson's 
nephew,  Andrew  Jackson  Donelson,  and  another  nephew  and 
adopted  son,  Andrew  Jackson,  both  lived  with  their  uncle. 
After  his  marriage  Andrew  Jackson  spent  most  of  his  time  at  the 
Hermitage. 

258 


Mrs.  Lucius  J.   Polk         Madame  Pageot 


^;-^' or  THE    ^'^ 

UNIVERSITY 


OF 
.CALlFOi 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


able  impressiveness  of  manner,  "  No  ;  the  President 
belongs  to  my  family." 

A  friend  of  Mrs.  Lucius  J.  Polk  was  Mary 
Lewis,  a  Tennessee  girl  and  a  daughter  of  William 
B.  Lewis,  one  of  the  President's  associates.  Miss 
Lewis  afterwards  married  M.  Alphonse  Pageot,  sec- 
retary to  the  French  legation  and  charge  d'affaires 
for  a  number  of  years. 

Major  William  B.  Lewis,  who  had  taken  a  long 
journey  to  Washington  to  witness  the  inaugura- 
tion, after  a  visit  of  a  few  days  told  the  President 
that  he  must  leave  him,  as  it  was  planting  time,  and 
his  farm  required  his  attention.  "  Why,  Major," 
exclaimed  his  host, "  you  are  not  going  to  leave  me 
here  alone  after  doing  more  than  any  other  man  to 
bring  me  here  *?"  The  General  clung  to  his  Ten- 
nessee friends,  and  was  lonely  in  the  great  house 
without  their  familiar  faces.  He  offered  Major 
Lewis  a  position  in  the  Treasury,  urging  him  to 
stay,  to  which  he  consented,  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  President's  family.  The  other  men  who 
were  credited  with  having  most  influence  over 
Jackson  during  the  early  years  of  his  administra- 
tion were  General  Duff  Green,  editor  of  the  United 
States  Telegraph,  the  Jackson  organ,  Isaac  Hill, 
from  New  Hampshire,  and  Amos  Kendall.  These 
three  journalists,  with  Major  Lewis,  formed  what 
the  enemies  of  the  administration  were  pleased  to 
call  "  the  kitchen  cabinet,"  which  was  supposed  to 
259 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

exert  much  more  influence  in  public  affairs  than 
the  actual  Cabinet.  Another  of  the  President's 
warm  friends  and  adherents  was  Francis  Preston 
Blair,  of  Kentucky,  who  established  the  Globe. 
Mr.  Blair  was  a  speaker  and  writer  of  marked 
ability,  whose  name  has  been  creditably  represented 
in  the  later  political  life  of  the  nation  by  his  son. 
General  Frank  P.  Blair. 

Mrs.  Lee,  a  daughter  of  the  elder  Blair,  recalls 
to-day  the  charm  and  courtesy  of  General  Jack- 
son's manner,  especially  towards  women  and  chil- 
dren. It  sometimes  seems  as  if  the  roughness  and 
extreme  plainness  of  Jackson's  life  and  surroundings 
before  he  came  to  the  Presidency  must  have  been 
exaggerated,  perhaps  in  order  to  please  the  popular 
fancy  for  tales  of  sudden  elevation  from  low  birth 
and  surroundings  to  the  highest  place  in  the  gift  of 
the  nation.  A  certain  directness  of  speech  and 
simplicity  of  daily  habits  he  never  lost.  His  cob 
pipe  was  dear  to  his  heart  and  horse-racing  a  favorite 
pastime.  Yet,  in  the  presence  of  women  no  more 
courtly  gentleman  could  be  found  than  this  pioneer 
soldier. 

An  amusing  account  is  given  by  a  relative  of 
Mrs.  Jackson  of  the  reception  at  the  White  House 
of  an  English  traveller,  soon  after  General  Jack- 
son's first  inauguration.  Lady  E.  was  making  a 
visit  to  Washington,  and  being  known  to  Mr. 
Buchanan,  she  expressed  a  desire  to  be  received  by 
260 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


the  President.  Mr,  Buchanan  offered  his  services 
to  arrange  an  interview.  Going  to  see  the  General, 
he  found  him  enjoying  his  dishabille  and  cob  pipe 
in  his  study.  Mr.  Buchanan  made  his  request  for 
an  interview,  to  which  the  President  replied  that  he 
would  receive  Lady  E.  in  an  hour's  time.  Before 
going  to  acquaint  the  lady  of  the  engagement 
which  he  had  made  for  her,  Mr.  Buchanan  paused 
to  remind  Jackson  that  his  expected  visitor  was  an 
English  lady  of  rank,  accustomed  to  all  the  refine- 
ments of  the  social  life  of  her  time.  The  President 
listened  with  some  impatience,  and  then  turning  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Senator,  said,  "  Jeemes  Buchanan, 
when  I  went  to  school  I  read  about  a  man  that  I 
was  much  interested  in.  He  was  a  man  who 
minded  his  own  business  and  he  made  a  large 
fortune  at  it." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  dignified  statesman 
retired  in  some  confusion,  anathematizing  the  un- 
lucky star  that  had  led  him  to  proffer  Lady  E.'s 
request  for  an  audience  on  this  particular  day,  when 
the  President  seemed  so  ill  prepared  to  receive  her. 
Mr.  Buchanan's  confusion  gave  place  to  surprise 
an  hour  later,  when  he  drove  up  to  the  White 
House  with  the  expected  visitor,  and  found  the 
President  waiting  to  receive  her  in  an  irreproach- 
able costume.  He  descended  to  the  coach,  and 
escorted  Lady  E.  up  the  broad  steps  with  the  grace 
of  a  Chesterfield. 

261 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

When  the  visitor  was  leaving  the  house,  after  a 
pleasant  interview  with  the  President,  she  said  to 
Mr.  Buchanan,  "  Why  did  you  not  prepare  me  for 
this"?  In  all  my  travels  I  have  not  met  a  more 
elegant  gentleman." 

Mrs.  Lee,  who  was  often  at  the  White  House 
in  her  girlhood,  and,  in  consequence  of  her  father's 
intimacy  with  the  President,  spent  an  entire  summer 
with  the  family  near  Fortress  Monroe,*  says  that 
"  when  Mrs.  Donelson  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Jackson 
were  at  the  White  House  with  their  young  chil- 
dren, and  the  babies  were  restless  and  fretful  at 
night,  the  President,  hearing  the  mother  moving 
about  with  her  little  one,  would  often  rise,  dress  him- 
self, and  insist  upon  having  the  child,  with  whom  he 
would  walk  the  floor  by  the  hour,  soothing  it  in 
his  strong,  tender  arms,  while  he  urged  the  tired 
mother  to  try  to  get  some  rest."  Mrs.  Lee  remembers 
the  General's  great  kindness  to  the  children  at  the 
White  House  table,  where  he  sometimes  insisted 
that  they  should  be  helped  first,  saying  that  they 
had  "  better  appetites  and  less  patience,  and  so 
should  not  be  expected  to  wait  until  their  elders 
were  served."  This  indulgent  fondness,  injudicious 
as  it  may  have  been  and  subversive  of  any  regular 
discipline,  plainly  reveals  the  tender  and  affectionate 


*  This  was  when  the  fort,  then  called  the   Rip   Raps,  was 
being  built. 

262 


A   LADIES'  BATTLE 


nature  of  a  man  who  in  his  early  life  had  known 
many  hardships  and  little  tenderness. 

It  is  not  strange  that  men  and  women,  who 
were  in  their  childhood  the  guests  of  General  Jack- 
son, should  in  old  age  remember  him  with  affection, 
and  count  among  the  happiest  hours  of  their  lives 
those  spent  with  him  in  the  White  House. 

A  woman  still  living  in  Washington,  who  was  a 
child  of  eleven  or  twelve  at  the  time  of  the  Gen- 
eral's second  inauguration,  still  vividly  recalls  the 
ball  given  at  Carusi's,  which  her  parents  allowed  her 
to  attend  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  President, 
with  whom  she  was  a  great  pet.  Attired  in  a  green 
silk  dress,  with  green  shoes  to  match,  the  gifts  of 
her  elderly  admirer,  this  child  "tagged  after  her 
mother,"  as  she  expressed  it,  full  of  delight  and 
wonder  over  her  entrance  into  what  seemed  like 
fairy-land. 

Mrs.  Wilcox  has  written  her  recollections  of 
happy  days  spent  at  the  White  House,  especially  of 
one  golden  Christmas  Day  that  shines  forth  in  mem- 
ory luminous  and  fair,  different  from  any  other  fes- 
tival of  her  after-life.*  These  favored  children  of 
the  President's  family,  two  little  Jacksons  and  five 
Donelsons,  hung  up  their  stockings  in  "  Uncle's 
room,"  while  one  of  the  boys,  with  great  glee,  tied 

*  ' '  Christmas  under  Three  Flags, ' '  by  Mary  Emily  Donelson 
WUcox. 

263 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

one  of  the  President's  socks  to  the  tongs,  saying, 
"  Now,  let's  see  how  Santa  Claus  will  treat  you,  Mr. 
Uncle  Jackson,  President  of  these  United  States." 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  stockings  were  not 
allowed  to  suffer  from  neglect.  Little  Mary  Emily 
Donelson  seems  to  have  received  a  lion's  share  of 
gifts,  among  them  a  miniature  cooking-stove  from 
her  godfather,  the  Vice-President,  and  a  charming 
doll  from  Madame  Serurier.  "  A  big  doll,  wearing 
the  red  brass-button  jacket,  gray  gold-striped  pants, 
plumed  chapeau,  spurs,  and  sabre  worn  by  French 
postillions.  I  had  had  many  handsome  dolls," 
says  the  vivacious  narrator,  "  but  never  a  boy  doll 
before,  and  like  other  foolish  mothers  welcoming  a 
son  after  a  succession  of  disappointing  daughters,  I 
clasped  him  in  my  arms  and  crowned  him  lord  and 
master  of  my  heart." 

There  was  a  gay  party  in  the  great  East  Room 
that  year,  to  which  the  little  Woodburys,  Blairs, 
Macombs,  Joneses,  Pleasantons,  Lees,  and  many 
other  Washington  children  were  invited  by  a  note, 
which  said, — 

♦'  The  children  of  President  Jackson's   family  request   you  to 
join   them  on   Christmas   Day,  at  four  o'clock   p.m.,  in  a  frolic 
in  the  East  Room. 
"  Washington,  December  19." 

A  few  older  guests  were  invited,  says  Mrs.  Wilcox, 
among  them  "  Mrs.  Madison,  bringing  her  grand- 
niece,  Addie  Cutts,  Mrs.  Lee,  with  little  Custis,  the 
264 


A    LADIES'  BATTLE 


Baroness  Krudener,  Mesdames  Huygens  and  Sem- 
rier,  and  Sir  Edward  Vaughan,  who  joined  the  Presi- 
dent and  members  of  the  family  in  the  Red  Room 
and  served  as  spectators  of  a  novel  and  delightful 
entertainment." 

The  Vice-President,  being  also  among  the  spec- 
tators, was  not  long  content  to  merely  look  on,  and 
joining  Miss  Cora  Livingston,  fair  mistress  of  the 
revels,  entered  with  great  spirit  into  "  Blind  Man's 
Buff,"  "  Puss  in  the  Comer,"  and  a  game  of  forfeits, 
while  the  children,  doubtless  instigated  by  their 
elders,  tried  to  catch  the  Vice-President  and  Miss 
Livingston  under  the  mistletoe  bough  that  was 
suspended  from  the  chandelier.  The  failure  of  this 
mischievous  scheme  was,  says  Mrs.  Wilcox,  the 
only  disappointment  of  the  evening. 

To  the  music  of  the  "  President's  March"  the 
happy  little  guests  were  ushered  into  the  supper- 
room,  where  a  feast  was  served,  in  whose  prepara- 
tion Vivart,  prince  of  chefs,  had  excelled  himself 
Amid  the  many  dainties  which  loaded  the  beautiful 
table  was  a  pyramid  of  snowballs,  surmounted  by  a 
gilt  game-cock,  with  head  erect  and  outspread  wings. 
The  snowballs,  which  were  made  of  non-combusti- 
ble, starch-coated  cotton,  were  distributed  among 
the  children,  who  were  allowed  to  have  a  royal 
game  of  snowballs  in  the  East  Room  after  supper. 
At  the  close  of  the  evening  the  happy  children 
marched  around  the  room,  kissing  their  hands  as 


265 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

they  passed  the  President,  and  saying,  "  Good-night, 
General."  Mrs.  Madison,  who  stood  by  the  side 
of  the  genial  host  enjoying  the  gay  scene,  exclaimed, 
"  What  a  beautiful  sight  it  is  !  It  reminds  me  of 
the  fairy  procession  in  the  '  Midsummer  Night's 
Dream.'  " 

A  lady  who  was  frequently  at  the  White  House 
during  General  Jackson's  administration  has  left  a 
pleasant  picture  of  the  happy  domestic  life  of  this 
childless  widower : 

**  A  large  parlor,  scantily  furnished,  lighted  from  above  by  a 
chandelier  ;  a  bright,  blazing  fire  in  the  grate  ;  around  the  fire 
four  or  five  ladies  sewing,  say  Mrs.  Donelson,  Mrs.  Andrew 
Jackson,  Mrs.  Edward  Livingston,  and  another  one  or  two  ;  five 
or  six  children,  from  two  to  seven  years  of  age,  playing  about  the 
room,  too  regardless  of  documents  and  work-baskets.  At  a  dis- 
tant end  of  the  apartment  the  President,  seated  in  an  arm-chair, 
wearing  a  long,  loose  coat,  smoking  a  long,  reed  pipe,  with  a 
red  clay  bowl,  exhibiting  the  combined  dignity  of  a  patriarch,  a 
monarch,  and  an  Indian  chief.  A  little  behind  the  President, 
Edward  Livingston,  Secretary  of  State,  reading  to  him,  in  a  low 
tone  a  dispatch  from  the  French  Minister  for  Foreign  AiFairs. 
The  President  listens  intently,  yet  with  a  certain  bland  assurance, 
as  though  he  were  saying  to  himself,  '  Say  you  so.  Monsieur  ? 
We  shall  see  about  that.'  The  ladies  glance  toward  him,  now 
and  then,  with  fond  admiration  expressed  in  their  countenances. 
The  children  are  too  loud  occasionally  in  their  play.  The 
President  inclines  his  ear  closer  to  the  Secretary,  and  waves  his 
pipe,  absently,  but  with  an  exquisite  smiling  tenderness  toward 
the  noisy  group,  which,  Mrs.  Donelson  perceiving,  she  lifts  her 
finger  and  whispers  admonition." 
266 


XI 

THROUGH  SEVERAL  ADMINIS- 
TRATIONS 

EDWARD  LIVINGSTON  was  in  1833  ap- 
pointed minister  to  France  by  President 
Jackson,  and  Andrew  Stevenson,  of  Virginia,  who 
had  been  Speaker  of  the  House  for  seven  years, 
was  in  1836  sent  to  represent  the  United  States 
at  the  Court  of  St.  James.  By  means  of  these 
appointments  two  women  were  introduced  to  the 
social  and  diplomatic  circles  of  Paris  and  Lon- 
don who  were  admirably  fitted  to  grace  the  salons 
of  those  cities.  Mrs.  Livingston's  vivacity,  in- 
telligence, and  charm  made  her  very  popular  in 
the  society  of  the  French  capital.  Greatly  as  she 
enjoyed  Parisian  life,  she  was  always  loyal  to  her 
own  country,  declining  upon  one  occasion  to  assist 
at  a  state  banquet  because  she  considered  that  the 
American  representatives  were  not  accorded  their 
proper  position.  In  the  matter  of  precedence  this 
Louisiana  woman  had  always  been  somewhat  punc- 
tilious. To  go  into  dinners  and  receptions  after 
"  Madame  le  ministre  d'Etat  or  Madame  de  la 
Guerre"  did  not  offend  her  ideas  of  propriety ;  but, 
as  she  expressed  it  in  her  fascinating  Creole  English, 
267 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

"  to  walk  in  to  dinner  behind  Madame  Poze-ofFeese, 
jamais!''' 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Stevenson  reached  London 
soon  after  the  death  of  William  IV.,  and  were 
present  at  the  coronation  of  Queen  Victoria.  Mrs. 
Stevenson's  letters,  still  preserved  in  the  family, 
give  vivid  and  interesting  descriptions  of  this  cere- 
monial, as  well  as  her  own  impressions  of  the 
womanly  grace  and  bonte  de  coeur  of  England's 
young  Queen.  At  the  time  of  the  jubilee  celebra- 
tion in  1887,  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Stevenson's  copied 
one  of  these  letters  written  fifty  years  before  and  sent 
it  to  Queen  Victoria.  Through  her  secretary.  Lord 
Ponsonby,  the  royal  lady  thanked  the  owner  of 
the  letter  for  the  pleasure  she  had  given  her  in 
allowing  her  to  read  what  the  young  American 
matron  had  written  of  her  coronation  so  many 
years  before. 

As  the  wife  of  the  American  minister,  Mrs. 
Stevenson  was  sometimes  invited  to  Windsor  Castle, 
and  often  amused  her  friends  by  telling  them  how 
the  Queen  had  prescribed  for  her  upon  the  occasion 
of  one  of  these  visits.  Learning  that  Mrs.  Steven- 
son was  indisposed,  the  Queen  sent  for  some  black 
pellets,  which  she  insisted  that  her  visitor  should 
take,  assuring  her  that  they  were  most  efficacious 
and  cured  all  of  her  ailments. 

While  in  London  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevenson  fre- 
quently entertained  Mr.  Richard  Vaux,  of  Phila- 
268 


Mrs.   Andrew  Stevenson 
By  G.   P.  A.  Healy 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

delphia,  who  for  a  time  acted  as  private  secretary 
to  the  American  minister.  At  a  state  ball,  when 
Mr.  Vaux  and  the  Honorable  George  M.  Dallas 
were  present,  these  two  handsome  Philadelphians 
are  said  to  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
Queen.  While  dancing  a  quadrille,  the  royal  lady 
lost  her  partner,  either  by  accident  or  intention, 
and  graciously  extending  her  finger-tips  to  Mr. 
Vaux,  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  tread  a  measure 
with  the  ruler  of  one  of  the  greatest  empires  in  the 
world.  This  incident  of  his  early  life  in  London, 
Mr.  Vaux  was  wont  to  relate  with  great  spirit  in 
later  years. 

Mrs.  Stevenson,  who  was  a  woman  of  ability, 
tact,  and  intelligence,  made  many  friends  among 
English  people  of  rank  and  learning.  Those  who 
remember  her,  as  she  appeared  in  later  years  in  her 
home  near  Richmond,  describe  her  as  a  striking- 
looking  person,  tall  and  commanding,  as  in  her 
portrait,  with  clear,  penetrating  eyes,  attractive  man- 
ners, and  great  conversational  ability. 

John  Van  Buren,  a  son  of  the  President,  was  in 
London  with  the  Stevensons,  while  another  bond 
was  established  between  the  two  families  by  the 
marriage  of  ^Irs.  Stevenson's  niece,  Angelica,  to 
Abraham  Van  Buren.  Soon  after  their  marriage 
the  young  couple  visited  the  Stevensons  in  London, 
and  the  pretty  and  graceful  bride  entered  with  her 
aunt  into  some  of  the  gayeties  of  the  English 
269 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

capital  during  the  season  after  the  coronation. 
This  period  was  made  especially  brilliant  by  the 
presence  in  London  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia, 
Prince  Henry  of  Orange,  and  many  foreigners  of 
rank. 

Mrs.  Van  Buren,  under  the  chaperonage  of  the 
wife  of  the  American  minister,  enjoyed  peculiar  ad- 
vantages, while  her  charming,  unassuming  manners 
made  an  agreeable  impression  and  drew  around  her 
a  circle  of  warm  friends.  "  In  the  court  circles  of 
England,"  says  a  writer  of  the  time,  *'  she  made  her- 
self most  agreeable  and  maintained  in  the  salons  of 
royalty  the  simplicity  and  dignity  of  her  republican 
education." 

President  Van  Buren  is  described,  by  an  ac- 
quaintance still  living  in  Washington,  as  gracefril 
and  sympathetic  in  manner  and  unusually  clever 
and  charming  in  conversation.  His  son  Abraham 
was  extremely  handsome,  while  John  Van  Buren 
was  exceptionally  brilliant  and  witty,  with  attrac- 
tive manners  and  marked  ability  as  a  speaker  and 
raconteur.  Mr.  R.  R.  Wilson,  writing  of  John 
Van  Buren,  says  that  after  being  attomey-general  of 
New  York 

"  He  left  the  Democratic  party  with  his  father,  and  when 
the  latter  was  nominated  by  the  Free  Soil  party,  the  son's  ora- 
torical abilities  were  most  effective  in  securing  converts  for  the 
new  departure.  John  Van  Buren  afterwards  returned  to  the 
Democratic  fold,  and  whenever  taunted  by  his  associates  as  a 
270 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

renegade,  his  sole  excuse  for  his  former  action  was  a  quaint 
allusion  to  the  barnyard  anecdote,  *  Dad  was  under  the 
hay.'  "  * 

Although  Mr.  Van  Buren  in  politics  followed  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  predecessor  and  retained  most 
of  General  Jackson's  Cabinet  officers,  his  social 
ideas  were  much  more  in  accord  with  those  of 
Madison,  Monroe,  and  John  Ouincy  Adams.  In 
carrying  out  his  plans  for  a  restoration  of  the  more 
dignified  social  usages  of  the  White  House,  the 
President  found  an  able  assistant  in  his  daughter-in- 
law,  Mrs.  Abraham  Van  Buren.  This  young 
woman  had  been  introduced  to  the  gayeties  of  the 
capital  the  winter  before  her  marriage  by  her  cousin 
Mrs.  Madison.  Connected  by  ties  of  kinship  and 
association  with  the  more  aristocratic  element  in 
Washington  life,  which  was  led  by  Mrs.  Madison 
and  Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton,  young  Mrs.  Van 
Buren  was  by  birth  and  natural  gifts  admirably 
fitted  to  draw  into  harmonious  relations  the  varied 
elements  of  the  cosmopolitan  city.  In  addition 
to  the  advantages  of  youth  and  beauty,  she  pos- 
sessed tact  and  adaptability.  In  describing  the 
impression  made  by  Mrs.  Van  Buren  when  she 
assisted  the  President  in  receiving  his  guests  at  a 
New  Year's  levee  a  few  weeks  after  her  marriage, 
one  of  the  newspapers  of  the  day  recorded  that 

*  "  Washington  :  The  Capital  City,"  by  Rufus  Rockwell 
Wilson. 

271 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

"  She  was  universally  admired,  and  is  said  to  have 
borne  the  fatigue  of  a  three  hours'  levee  with  a 
patience  and  pleasantry  which  must  be  inexhausti- 
ble to  last  one  thro'  so  severe  a  trial." 

If  there  was  less  promiscuous  entertaining  in  the 
White  House  during  Mr.  Van  Buren's  term  than 
in  that  which  preceded  it,  a  greater  sociability  pre- 
vailed in  official  circles.  The  President  not  only 
gave  many  delightful  dinners  at  the  White  House, 
but  encouraged  his  Cabinet  officers  and  their  prin- 
cipal subordinates  to  follow  his  example.  Conse- 
quently, fortnightly  dinners  were  given  at  a  number 
of  houses  at  which  the  resident  society  of  the 
capital  and  the  members  of  the  official  and  diplo- 
matic circles  were  brought  together.  Weekly 
levees  were  held  at  the  White  House,  which,  if 
less  popular  and  democratic  than  those  of  the  pre- 
vious administration,  were  more  elegant  and  digni- 
fied. It  was  pleasant  to  have  a  genial  host  and  a 
graceful  hostess  in  the  Executive  Mansion  once 
more.  The  old  house  looked  bright  and  cheerful 
with  carriages  constantly  driving  to  its  door,  often 
filled  with  gayly  dressed  visitors,  as  Washington 
women,  even  those  of  its  most  exclusive  circles, 
warmly  welcomed  young  Mrs.  Van  Buren. 

Mrs.  Madison  was  living  in  the  capital  during 

Mr.  Van  Buren's  administration,  having  returned 

thither  the  year  following  the  death  of  her  husband, 

bringing  with  her  a  favorite  niece,  Anna  Payne. 

272 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

The  square,  gray  house,  still  called  the  "  Dolly 
Madison  house,"  which  in  those  days  had  its 
entrance  on  Lafayette  Square,  soon  became  a 
favorite  resort  of  the  Washington  world,  and  no 
sojourner  in  the  capital  considered  his  visit  com- 
plete without  a  call  upon  Mrs.  Madison.  Despite 
advancing  years,  physical  infirmities,  and  the 
shadow  of  a  great  sorrow  in  the  loss  of  a  husband 
to  whom  she  was  devotedly  attached,  this  woman 
still  possessed  a  charm  of  manner  and  conversation 
that  drew  to  her  side  young  and  old  alike.  Mrs. 
Fremont,  writing  of  Mrs.  Madison  as  she  appeared 
in  the  forties,  said  that  in  those  happy  times,  "  when 
character  outranked  appearances,"  no  person  thought 
of  criticizing  the  short-waisted,  puff-sleeved,  gored 
velvet  gowns  of  an  earlier  period,  which  were  still 
worn  by  the  mistress  of  the  gray  house  on  Lafay- 
ette Square.  Poverty  came  to  Mrs.  Madison  in 
later  years,  chiefly  through  the  extravagance  of  her 
son ;  and  when  the  choice  lay  between  relinquish- 
ing the  pleasures  of  society  or  appearing  in  old 
gowns,  the  genial  lady  speedily  decided  in  favor 
of  the  social  life  that  she  loved.  And  so  cheer- 
fully and  gracefiiUy  were  the  old  dresses  worn  that 
many  persons,  even  critical  young  girls,  testified 
to  their  suitableness,  and  said  that  no  other  cos- 
tume would  have  become  her  as  well. 

Afterwards,  through  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Web- 
ster   and    other   friends,  some    of    Mr.   Madison's 

i8  273 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

papers  were  bought  from  Mrs.  Madison,  and  Presi- 
dent Tyler  urged  upon  Congress  the  propriety  of 
purchasing  Mr.  Madison's  Ubrary  for  a  sum  that 
would  make  his  widow  comfortable  in  her  declining 
years.  This  was  done,  and  a  Washington  woman, 
in  speaking  of  these  plans  for  Mrs.  Madison's  relief, 
says,  that  Mr.  Corcoran  and  Mr.  J.  Bayard  Smith 
induced  her  to  make  a  will  and  leave  the  little 
property  that  she  still  possessed  to  her  faithfr) 
niece,  Anna  Payne,  rather  than  to  her  undutiful  son. 

On  public  holidays,  such  as  the  Fourth  of  July 
and  New  Year's  Day,  Mrs.  Madison's  doors  always 
stood  open,  and  the  throng  of  people  who  paid 
their  respects  to  the  President  at  the  White  House 
trooped  across  Lafayette  Square  to  offer  their  greet- 
ings to  "  the  young  lady  of  fourscore  years  and  up- 
wards," as  Philip  Hone  described  Mrs.  Madison  in 
1842.  A  great-niece,  recalling  her  impressions  of 
her  aunt,  speaks  of  crossing  with  her  mother  and 
brother  "  the  ragged  little  square  opposite  the  White 
House"  to  be  received  by  a  "  very  sweet  looking 
lady,  tall  and  erect,  with  eyes  that  were  blue  and 
laughed  when  she  smiled  and  greeted  her  friends, 
who  seemed  so  glad  to  see  her." 

At  this  reception,  which  was  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  President  Polk,  the  young  narrator  says: 

"  A  throng  of  people  passed  in  and  out,  among  them  some 
old  ladies,  whom   I   have  since  heard  of  as   the   wives  of  men 
known  to  fame.      There  was  Mrs.  Decatur,  who  at  that  time 
274 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

lived  in  a  little  cottage  near  Georgetown  College,  and  never 
went  out  except  to  call  on  Aunt  Madison.  She  wore  a  little 
close  bonnet,  and  had  great,  sad,  dark  eyes.  Mrs.  Lear  (Mrs. 
Tobias  Lear,  whose  husband  was  Washington's  secretary)  was 
another  most  beautiful  old  lady  whom  we  all  called  aunt,  I  sup- 
pose because  all  the  children  loved  her  ;  Mr.  Bancroft,  who 
lived  in  the  Ogle  Tayloe  house,  next  door  ;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Webster,  whom  I  saw  for  the  first  time  ;  also  Mrs.  Polk,  who 
was  always  so  gracefully  attentive  to  Mrs.  Madison,  and  was 
then  a  tall,  handsome,  young-looking  person,  and  much  beloved 
in  society." 

A  social  event  of  this  administration,  still  recalled 
by  many  older  Washingtonians,  was  the  marriage  of 
Miss  Williams,  of  Georgetown,  to  the  elderly  Rus- 
sian minister.  Baron  Bodisco.  Mrs.  Fremont,  in 
her  "  Souvenirs,"  tells  of  the  beauty  and  grace  of 
Harriet  Williams,  who  was  among  her  companions 
at  the  fashionable  school  of  Miss  English  in 
Georgetown.  One  year  Miss  Williams,  who  was 
a  great  favorite  with  her  schoolmates,  being  amiable 
as  well  as  beautiful,  was  chosen  by  them  to  be 
Queen  of  the  May  at  their  annual  celebration. 
Mrs.  Fremont  relates,  with  great  spirit,  a  sad  tale 
of  the  setting  aside  of  the  beloved  candidate  for  the 
very  poor  reason,  according  to  youthful  judgment 
that  the  young  lady's  standing  in  her  classes  was 
not  satisfactory  to  the  principal  and  teachers.  An- 
other and  more  studious  scholar  was  crowned 
Queen  of  the  May  in  the  place  of  Harriet  Wil- 
liams ;  and  then,  as  if  in  defiance  ot  the  retributive 
275 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

justice  of  Sunday-school  literature  and  "Parents' 
Assistants,"  this  pretty  maid  who  did  not  attend  to 
her  tasks  was  soon  after  invited  to  walk  into  fairy- 
land a  la  Russe.  The  fact  that  the  Prince  of  the 
tale  was  in  this  instance  short  and  stout,  with  a 
broad  Kalmuck  face,  much  wrinkled,  surmounted 
by  a  shining  brown  wig,  did  not  much  concern 
those  gay  school-girls,  or  the  bride  either,  for  the 
matter  of  that.  Beautiful,  placid,  and  smiling,  she 
accepted  the  good  gifts  that  came  to  her  as  if  en- 
gaged in  a  lottery  in  which  she  drew  all  the  prizes, 
while  her  friends  enjoyed  with  her  the  balls,  din- 
ners, bonbons,  and  fine  feathers.  Baron  Bodisco, 
who  seems  to  have  had  a  great  liking  for  young 
people,  gave  a  famous  Christmas  party  for  the  boys 
and  girls  of  his  acquaintance  at  his  large  house  on 
O  Street,  in  Georgetown.  The  entertainment  was 
in  honor  of  the  Baron's  nephews,  who  lived  with 
him,  and  the  preparations,  which  were  in  Russian 
style,  were  for  days  the  wonder  of  the  quaint  old 
town.  The  house  was  illuminated,  and  great  fires 
burned  in  the  vacant  square  in  front  of  the  mansion, 
which  were,  according  to  a  kindly  Russian  cus- 
tom, for  the  comfort  of  the  coachmen ;  but  upon 
this  stormy  Christmas  night  they  served  as  beacon- 
lights  to  guide  the  young  people  "to  the  haven 
where  they  would  be."  One  of  these  happy  guests, 
writing  of  the  party,  said  that  inside  the  doors 
fairy-land  began,  as  everything  was  provided  that 
276 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

children,  little  and  big,  could  fancy.  The  balconies 
of  the  house  had  been  enclosed  and  hung  with 
curtains  and  mirrors.  In  one  of  these  improvised 
rooms  were  wonderful  red  and  gold  swings ;  in  an- 
other gifts  galore, — toys,  picture-books,  boxes  of 
kid  gloves,  fans,  ribbons,  and  bags  of  bonbons^  "  all 
these,"  adds  the  narrator,  "  for  us  to  take  home." 
There  were  elaborate  refreshments  at  this  party, 
dancing,  and  games ;  but  what  most  impressed  the 
young  guests  was  the  generosity  of  the  Russian 
Kriss  Kringle,  who  had  provided  so  many  gifts  for 
them  to  carry  away,  in  which  the  elderly  host 
showed  a  genuine  appreciation  of  the  loot-loving 
tendencies  of  the  average  child. 

In  issuing  invitations  for  this  entertainment, 
which  seems  to  have  included  young  persons  from 
ten  to  sixteen  and  upwards,  by  some  mischance  an 
invitation  was  not  sent  to  little  Miss  Williams, 
who  lived  on  U  Street.  Leaming  of  the  omission, 
the  Baron  himself  wrote  a  very  polite  note  of 
apology  and  an  invitation  to  the  young  lady,  who 
gracefully  accepted  both. 

The  night  of  the  ball,  the  Baron  asked  his 
nephews  to  be  sure  to  present  him  to  Miss  Wil- 
liams, as  he  wished  to  make  amends  for  his  apparent 
neglect.  So  well  did  the  host  act  his  part  and  so 
gracefully  did  the  young  girl  accept  the  amende 
that  in  a  short  time  the  diplomat  of  sixty  was  seen 
meeting  sweet  sixteen  and  carrying  her  books  to 
277 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

school,  which  encounters  were  followed  by  a  pro- 
posal, made  to  Mr.  Williams  in  due  form,  and  a 
betrothal. 

"  The  Bodisco  wedding,"  as  it  was  always  called, 
was  the  talk  of  the  Washington  world  for  some 
weeks.  The  ceremony  was  performed  at  the  home 
of  the  bride's  father,  Mr.  Brooke  Williams,  but  the 
feast  was  spread  at  the  Baron's  house  on  O  Street.* 
Among  the  guests  at  this  wedding  were  the  Presi- 
dent and  his  Cabinet,  members  of  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  in  full  regalia,  officers  ot  the  army  and  navy 
in  uniform,  and  many  ladies  in  attractive  visiting 
costume.  "  It  was  a  lovely  day  in  early  spring, 
fortunately,"  wrote  one  of  the  bridesmaids,  "  for 
though  it  was  a  wide  and  roomy  house  the  com- 
pany overflowed  into  hall  and  piazzas  and  the 
grounds,  while  out  in  the  road  the  crowd  of  car- 
riages was  swarmed  around  by  a  throng  of  out- 
siders. It  was  like  a  gay  country  fair  with  its 
cheery,  moving  crowd."  Mrs.  Fremont,  then  Jessie 
Benton,  aged  fourteen,  was  one  of  the  bridesmaids 
selected  by  Miss  Williams,  her  attendant  being  the 
dignified  and  handsome  Senator  Buchanan,  who 
had  recently  retumed  from  the  Court  of  St.  Peters- 
burg.    The    Chevalier    de  Martini,  minister  from 

*  The  Williams  house,  on  U  Street,  near  Observatory  Place, 
the  scene  of  this  wedding,  and  the  Bodisco  house  at  No.  3322 
O  Street,  both  standing,  are  among  the  interesting  landmarks  of 
old  Georgetown. 

278 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

The  Hague,  waited  with  a  lovely  sixteen-year-old 
daughter  of  Commodore  Morris,  whose  sister  Lou- 
ise afterwards  married  Mr.  William  W.  Corcoran. 
The  bridesmaids  were  all  young,  to  harmonize  with 
the  bride,  the  groomsmen  of  an  age  and  dignity 
suited  to  those  of  the  groom.  "Consequently," 
says  Mrs.  Fremont,  "it  was  May  and  December 
all  through." 

Among  the  groomsmen  was  the  English  minister, 
Henry  Stephen  Fox,  older  and  more  withered  and 
gray  than  when  Byron  met  him  at  Naples  and 
wrote  home,  "  I  met,  the  other  day,  Henry  Fox, 
who  has  been  dreadfully  ill,  and,  as  he  says,  is  so 
changed  that  his  oldest  creditor  would  not  know 
him." 

Mr.  Fox  was  a  familiar  figure  upon  the  streets 
of  the  capital,  in  his  nankeen  trousers,  blue  swal- 
low-tailed coat  with  brass  buttons,  high  shirt  col- 
lar, wide  brimmed  hat,  and  an  inevitable  green  silk 
umbrella.  Upon  the  occasion  of  Baron  Bodisco's 
wedding,  says  one  of  the  guests,  "  he  appeared,  re- 
splendent in  a  court  suit  of  scarlet  and  gold,  his 
rough  gray  eyebrows  frowned  over  his  half-shut 
eyes,  and  his  whole  attitude  a  protest."  Perhaps  the 
English  minister's  protest  was  not  so  much  against 
the  matrimonial  venture  of  the  elderly  diplomat  as 
against  the  early  rising  necessitated  by  a  moming 
wedding.  It  was  currently  reported  of  Mr.  Fox, 
who  went  to  bed  at  dawn  and  rose  at  three  in  the 
279 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

afternoon,  that  upon  the  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  a 
member  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  he  turned  to  the 
wife  of  the  Spanish  minister,  and  said,  "  How  very 
odd  we  all  look  by  daylight !"  it  being  the  first  time 
he  had  seen  his  colleagues  except  by  candle-light, 

A  bustling,  anxious  master  of  ceremonies  was 
the  Baron,  giving  orders  right  and  left,  and  up  to 
the  last  moment  engaged  in  arranging  the  wedding 
party  in  the  approved  horseshoe  curve  of  the  day. 
The  bride,  who  was  to  be  given  away  by  Henry 
Clay,  was  beautiful  in  a  gown  of  white  satin  and 
silver  lace,  which  was  fashioned  after  the  costume 
of  a  Russian  bride,  a  coronet  of  red  velvet  blazing 
with  diamonds  resting  upon  her  golden  hair.  Gay, 
happy,  and  apparently  unconscious  of  her  own 
attractions,  she  was  busied  in  distributing  flowers  to 
her  bridesmaids  and  pearl  rings  from  the  groom ; 
complaining  one  moment  of  the  elegant  but  op- 
pressive wrap  of  satin  and  swansdown  which  had 
to  be  worn  as  a  part  of  the  ceremony,  and  the  next 
wishing  that  she  might  satisfy  her  school-girl  appe- 
tite upon  the  delicacies  of  the  wedding  feast  that 
was  to  be  served  at  "  Bodisco's  house." 

"  When  we  were  arranged  quite  to  his  (Baron  Bodisco's) 
taste,"  says  Mrs.  Fremont,  "  in  a  horseshoe  curve,  the  glistening 
white  dresses  and  young  faces  and  flowers  thrown  into  higher 
relief  by  the  age  and  court  dress  of  the  men,  while  Bishop  Johns 
in  full  canonicals,  and  Mr.  Clay,  tall  and  dignified,  made  the 
contrasting  touch,  Bodisco  gave  a  last  reviewing  look,  then 
280 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

ordered  the  doors  to  be  rolled  back.  Certainly  the  guests  saw 
a  beautiful  tableau, — whether  painful  also  it  was  for  each  one  to 
judge.  But  of  this  we  had  no  thought.  To  go  through  our 
parts  with  ease  and  dignity,  to  remain  in  position  during  the 
ceremonious  congratulations,  and  only  speak  in  answer,  to  group 
around  the  bridecake  with  its  ring,  and  offer  it  to  those  coming 
to  its  special  flower-dressed  table,  these  were  our  limit." 

Among  the  entertainments  given  in  honor  of  the 
Baron  Bodisco  and  his  bride  was  a  dinner  at  the 
White  House.  One  of  the  guests  speaks  of  cross- 
ing the  windy  hall  from  the  dressing-room  to  the 
drawing-room,  which  Mr.  Van  Buren  later  had  pro- 
tected by  glass  screens. 

Around  the  pretty,  youthful  bride  were  grouped 
her  girl  bridesmaids,  while  the  elderly  groomsmen 
made  a  sombre  background  for  the  gay  tableau. 

"The  old  mirror  plateau  on  the  dinner- table  has  never  re- 
flected such  an  odd  company,"  says  one  of  the  guests,  "  but 
with  such  a  host,  in  such  a  house,  the  dinner  and  the  invited 
reception  that  followed  had  to  be  beautiful  and  a  success.  Mr. 
Van  Buren  had  great  tact  and  knew  how  to  make  each  one 
show  to  advantage.  He  was  also  very  witty,  but  he  controlled 
this,  knowing  its  danger  to  a  man  in  public  life." 

The  sequel  proves  this  apparently  ill-assorted 
union  between  sixty  and  sixteen  to  have  been  a 
happy  one.  The  Baron  was  a  kind  and  indulgent 
husband,  generous  to  his  wife's  family  as  well  as  to 
herself  The  monotony  of  a  Georgetown  resi- 
dence was  varied  by  several  visits  to  Russia,  when 
281 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  beautiful  young  Baroness  was  received  at  the 
court  of  St.  Petersburg,  where  her  children  and 
grandchildren  afterwards  occupied  positions  of 
distinction. 

After  ten  or  twelve  years  of  married  life  the  good 
old  Baron  died,  having  expressed  an  amiable  desire 
that  his  wife  might  marry  again  and  be  as  happy 
as  she  had  made  him.  The  still  young  and  beau- 
tiful Madame  Bodisco  fulfilled  this  last,  as  she  had 
every  other  request  of  her  husband,  and  soon  after 
became  the  wife  of  an  English  officer  named  Scott. 
This  second  wedding  was  solemnized  in  St.  John's 
Church,  Lafayette  Square ;  many  of  the  guests 
were  present  who  had  assisted  at  "the  Bodisco 
wedding,"  and  Mr.  Buchanan  again  occupied  a 
prominent  position,  as  he  was  called  upon  to  give 
away  the  bride. 

The  refurnishing  of  the  White  House  soon 
after  Mr.  Van  Buren's  inauguration  was  severely 
criticized,  as  was  the  greater  formality  of  the  weekly 
receptions  and  the  absence  of  hard  cider  at  these 
ga^therings.  Some  writers  have  even  stated,  in  all 
seriousness,  that  the  lack  of  the  favorite  beverage, 
the  redecoration  of  the  White  House,  and  rumors 
of  a  silver  service  and  gold  spoons  in  use  upon  the 
President's  table  cost  him  his  re-election  in  1804.  / 1^ 

Upon  one  occasion,  when  Mr.  Ogle,  who  had 
been  a  frequent  guest  at  the  White  House,  made 
some  campaign  speeches  in  which  the  gold  spoons 
282 


SEVERAL  ADMINISTRATIONS 

figured  prominently,  a  friend  asked  Mr.  Van  Buren 
if  Ogle  was  right  about  the  "  gold  spoons."  "  He 
ought  to  know,"  replied  the  President,  "he  has 
often  had  them,  in  his  mouth."  Although  the  un- 
popularity of  the  thirteenth  administration  was 
chiefly  due  to  the  financial  depression  consequent 
upon  the  carrying  out  of  General  Jackson's  favor- 
ite banking  schemes,  every  social  innovation  at  the 
White  House  was  magnified  and  criticized  as  in- 
dicative of  a  dangerous  and  unrepublican  tendency 
towards  the  luxury  and  extravagance  of  foreign 
courts.  Exaggerated  contrasts  between  rude  and 
luxurious  living,  which  had  been  employed  with 
considerable  success  in  the  campaigns  of  1828  and 
1836,  were  carried  to  an  extreme  by  the  Whig 
party  in  1840.  The  blessings  of  rustic  simplicity, 
the  advantages  of  life  in  a  log  cabin  over  that  in 
an  ordinary  dwelling-house — the  Whig  candidate 
having  spent  much  of  his  life  upon  the  frontier — 
were  extolled  in  political  speeches,  editorials,  and 
songs.  During  this  campaign,  which  was  one  of 
banners,  emblems,  and  jingles,  verses  ending  in 
"  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too,"  with  allusions  to 
"  Van,  a  used-up  man,"  were  sung  everywhere,  and 
doubtless  contributed  much  to  the  overwhelming 
defeat  of  the  conservative  Van  Buren  and  to  the 
triumphant  election  of  General  Harrison. 

A  soldier  who  had  served  in  the   Indian  wars 
with  Wayne,  and  had  received  his  commission  fi-om 
283 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

the  hands  of  Washington,  was  a  figure  well  calcu- 
lated to  arouse  the  enthusiasm  of  the  American 
people.  In  the  brief  term  of  one  month  granted 
to  him  as  Chief  Executive,  William  Henry  Harri- 
son fully  vindicated  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 
by  his  countrymen. 

An  heroic  figure  was  that  of  the  old  soldier  sur- 
rounded by  his  Cabinet  and  advisers,  battling  man- 
fully against  the  encroachments  of  the  spoils  sys- 
tem, opposing  even  such  giants  in  the  political 
arena  as  Webster  and  Clay,  and  when  brought  to 
bay,  turning  upon  them  with  the  unanswerable 
argument  that  whatever  pledges  they  may  have 
ventured  to  make,  he,  WiUiam  Henry  Harrison, 
was  the  President. 

It  has  been  said  that  General  Harrison  died  from 
the  effects  of  a  cold  contracted  while  delivering  his 
inaugural  address  from  the  east  portico  of  the 
Capitol  upon  a  chill  March  day.  Dangerous  as 
such  exposure  may  have  been  to  an  elderly  and 
not  very  strong  man,  the  President's  fatal  illness 
may  perhaps  with  more  justice  be  attributed  to 
the  unaccustomed  exertions  of  the  campaign  and 
the  inauguration,  and  more  especially  to  the  fa- 
tigue and  strain  caused  by  the  importunities  of 
office-seekers  and  the  purveyors  of  places,  who 
crowded  about  him.  During  his  illness  the  Presi- 
dent's mind  wandered,  but  always  tumed  back  to 
the  same  familiar  subject ;  and  the  last  words  that 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

were  heard  by  those  who  surrounded  him  were 
such  as  did  honor  to  the  righteous  man  and  the 
good  citizen.  "  It  is  wrong — I  won't  consent — it 
is  unjust,"  he  murmured,  as  if  speaking  to  some  one. 
"  These  applications,  will  they  never  cease  ?  Sir,  I 
wish  you  to  understand  the  true  principles  of  the 
government.  I  wish  them  carried  out.  I  ask 
nothing  more." 

The  death  of  President  Harrison  placed  in  the 
office  of  Chief  Executive  the  Vice-President,  John 
Tyler,  a  veteran  politician  and  a  Virginia  gentleman 
of  the  old  school. 

Although  the  inauguration  of  President  Tyler 
brought  some  dissension  into  the  House  and  Senate, 
peace  and  happiness  reigned  within  the  walls  of  the 
Executive  Mansion,  where  open-handed  Virginia 
hospitality  was  once  more  extended.  The  dinners 
and  receptions,  if  less  ceremonious  than  those  of 
the  previous  administration,  were  characterized  by  a 
warmth  and  graciousness  that  are  inherent  in  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Old  Dominion.  Mrs. 
Tyler  was  in  delicate  health,  and  frequently  unable 
to  appear  at  the  weekly  levees ;  but  her  two 
daughters,  Mrs.  Lightfoot  Jones  and  Mrs.  Semple, 
and  her  daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Robert  Tyler,  were 
fortunately  at  hand  to  take  her  place. 

Mrs.  Semple,  a  bride  at  the  time  of  her  father's 
inauguration,  was  beautiful  and  distinguished  in  ap- 
pearance and  manners.  Still  living  in  Washington, 
285 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mrs.  Semple  recalls  the  brilliant  and  varied  life 
of  the  White  House  in  the  early  forties,  or  the 
simpler  and  more  congenial  delights  of  a  drive  or 
walk  with  her  father  through  woods  or  over  the 
unclaimed  common  that,  in  days  when  the  living 
district  did  not  extend  north  or  west  beyond 
Thomas  Circle,  lay  near  the  heart  of  the  city, 

Mrs.  Robert  Tyler,  a  clever  and  charming  young 
matron,  presided  over  many  of  the  White  House 
entertainments.  Once,  when  receiving  Mr.  Joseph 
Nourse,  an  old  friend  of  her  father,  whom  she  had 
not  seen  since  her  childhood,  she  exclaimed,  "  Ah, 
Mr.  Nourse,  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction,  which  is 
exemplified  by  my  receiving  you  here  in  the  White 
House." 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Tyler 
were  often  with  them  in  Washington,  and  a  fancy 
ball,  given  by  the  President  to  his  eldest  grand- 
daughter, Mary  Fairlie  Tyler,  is  still  recalled  by 
men  and  women  who  were  among  the  guests  of 
the  evening.  Little  Mary  Tyler,  representing  a 
fairy,  with  gossamer  wings,  a  diamond  star  on  her 
forehead  and  a  silver  wand  in  her  tiny  hand,  stood 
at  the  door  of  the  East  Room  to  welcome  into 
Queen  Titania's  realm  her  delighted  young  friends. 
At  this  beautiful  ball  there  were  the  usual  number 
of  flower-girls  and  gypsy  fortune-tellers.  Miss  Adele 
Cutts  appearing  as  one  of  the  former,  and  Miss 
Rosa  Mordecai  in  the  latter  interesting  role,  while 
286 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

the  Senorita  Almonte,  daughter  of  the  Mexican 
minister,  represented  an  Aztec  princess,  and  young 
Master  Schermerhorn,  of  New  York,  an  Albanian 
boy. 

The  sociable  Tyler  family  introduced  the  custom 
of  having  music  in  the  White  House  grounds  on 
Saturday  afternoons,  which  made  a  pleasant  rallying- 
point  for  the  Washington  world.  The  beautiful 
grounds  around  the  Capitol  furnished  another  at- 
tractive meeting-place,  and  here  the  band  played 
on  Wednesday  afternoons  during  the  spring  and 
summer.  A  Washington  woman,  in  recalling  the 
persons  to  be  met  at  the  White  House  and  in  the 
Capitol  grounds,  speaks  of  the  handsome,  soldierly 
figures  of  General  Winfield  Scott  and  General  May, 
both  destined  to  rise  to  distinction  in  the  war  with 
Mexico ;  of  John  C.  Calhoun  and  the  Reverend 
Park  Addison,  the  latter  dressed  like  a  college-man 
of  the  old  time,  in  long,  black  silk  stockings,  and 
shoes  with  buckles.  Dr.  Addison,  of  Georgetown, 
known  as  the  blind  parson,  was  usually  accom- 
panied by  his  young  granddaughter.  Here,  also, 
were  to  be  met  General  Edmund  P.  Gaines  and  his 
wife,  he  known  as  the  hero  of  Fort  Erie,  and  she 
as  the  heroine  of  a  prolonged  and  interesting  law- 
suit. The  small,  slight  figure,  and  keen  dark  eyes 
of  Myra  Gaines  were  familiar  to  Washingtonians 
even  in  the  latter  years  ot  the  century. 

Mr.  Webster,  says  the  narrator,  was  often  present 
287 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

at  these  Wednesday  and  Saturday  promenade  con- 
certs en  plein  air^  in  blue  swallow-tailed  coat  with 
brass  buttons,  open  vest,  and  expansive  white  ruf- 
fled shirt-front,  in  company  with  a  legal  colleague, 
General  Walter  Jones.  This  latter  gentleman, 
although  as  brigadier-general  of  the  District  militia 
he  was  known  by  a  warlike  title,  had  distinguished 
himself  in  a  profession  which  is  supposed  to  herald 
the  dawn  of  peace  and  good-will  upon  the  earth. 
General  Jones  was  one  of  the  lawyers  retained  by 
the  heirs  of  Stephen  Girard  when  their  case  to  re- 
cover his  bequest  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia  was 
tried  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States. 

A  brilliant  galaxy  of  wit  and  learning  appeared 
upon  both  sides  in  this  celebrated  trial, — General 
Jones,  senior  lawyer,  Mr.  Stump,  of  Maryland,  and 
Mr.  Webster  appeared  on  behalf  of  the  Girard 
heirs,  while  the  city  of  Philadelphia  sent,  to  plead 
the  cause  of  the  orphan,  two  of  her  greatest  law- 
yers, Horace  Binney  and  John  Sargent. 

One  of  the  strong  points  made  by  the  counsel 
for  the  heirs  was  "that  the  college  was  an  un- 
christian institution,  inasmuch  as  one  of  the  pro- 
visions of  the  will  was  that  no  minister  of  the 
Gospel  should  enter  its  walls."  Mr.  Binney  said, 
with  some  asperity,  that  they  had  made  religion  a 
stalking  horse  to  stalk  off  with  the  orphan's  bread ; 
to  which  Walter  Jones  replied,  in  allusion  to  the 
288 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

vast  sum  consumed  in  erecting  the  costly  and 
beautiful  building,  that  "  the  orphans  had  asked  for 
bread,  and  that  they  had  given  them  a  stone,  a  very 
beautiful  stone  indeed,  but  still  a  stone."  * 

Many  witty  sallies  and  clever  passages  of  arms 
marked  the  sessions  of  the  court  during  this  trial. 
When  all  the  evidence  had  been  taken  on  both 
sides,  Mr.  Webster  presented  the  case  for  the  heirs. 
"  The  concluding  argument  belonged  of  right  to 
Walter  Jones  as  senior  counsel  in  the  case,  who 
courteously  waived  his  right  to  his  colleague, 
Daniel  Webster.  Up  rose  great  Dan,  immaculate 
in  white  shirt  bosom,  blue  cloth  coat  and  brass 
buttons,  his  deep-set  eyes  kindling  with  more  than 
their  wonted  fire,  and  delivered  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  powerful  arguments  in  defence  of  the 
Christian  religion  ever  uttered." 

Says  a  witty  narrator  of  the  event,  "  It  was  per- 
haps the  one  instance  in  the  history  of  the  world 
when  the  law  should  have  taken  precedence  of  the 
Gospel. 

*  By  a  provision  of  the  will  of  Stephen  Girard,  no  ecclesi- 
astic missionary  or  minister  of  any  sect  whatever  was  to  hold 
communication  with  the  college,  or  be  admitted  to  the  premises 
as  a  visitor.  The  reason  for  this  restriction  was,  according  to 
the  testator,  that  **  the  tender  minds  of  the  orphans"  who  were 
to  derive  advantage  from  this  institution  should  be  '  *  unprejudiced, 
and  upon  their  entrance  into  active  life  free  to  choose  such  re- 
ligious tenets  as  their  mature  reason  may  enable  them  to  prefer," 
'9  289 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

"  The  case  was  decided  against  the  heirs,  although 
it  was  said  in  thus  deciding,  the  Supreme  Court 
had  reversed  three  of  its  previous  decisions.  Walter 
Jones  said  with  regard  to  it  that  the  judges  had 
'swallowed  their  own  opinions  like  hearty  fel- 
lows.' "  * 

It  should  perhaps  be  added,  in  justice  to  the 
great  lawyers  who  appeared  in  behalf  of  the  de- 
fenceless orphans,  that  their  arguments,  and  perhaps 
also  the  righteousness  of  their  cause,  triumphed, 
even  in  the  face  of  three  days  of  the  great  Web- 
ster's marvellous,  impassioned  pleading. 

Other  distinguished  lawyers  often  to  be  seen 
upon  the  streets  of  Washington  were  Henry  D. 
Gilpin  and  George  M.  Dallas,  of  Philadelphia,  the 
latter  destined  to  be  Vice-President  under  Mr. 
Polk,  a  picturesque  figure  with  his  crown  of  snow- 
white  hair,  as  was  that  of  his  learned  townsman, 
Charles  Jared  IngersoU,  who  still  wore  the  Revolu- 
tionary buff  and  blue.  Here  also  was  Levi  Wood- 
bury, who,  after  representing  New  Hampshire  in 
the  Senate  for  a  number  of  years,  and  acting  as 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  President  Jackson, 
was  appointed  by  Mr.  Tyler  to  succeed  the  ven- 
erable and  honored  Joseph  Story  as  a  justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court.     On  the  street,  at  the  Capitol, 

*  "Walter  Jones,"  written  for  tlie  Columbia  Historical  So- 
ciety by  Fanny  Lee  Jones. 

290 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

and  at  every  place  of  general  resort,  "  a  chiel 
amang  them  takin'  notes"  was  Mrs.  Anne  Royall. 
In  her  paper,  The  Huntress,  appeared  what  she 
doubtless  considered  pen-pictures  of  the  great  and 
little  folk  of  the  Washington  world.  Yet,  de- 
spite her  opportunities  for  the  observation  of  in- 
dividualities among  men  and  women  of  the  day, 
there  was  a  notable  sameness  in  Mrs.  Royall's  por- 
traitures. The  women  who  pleased  the  writer's 
fancy  were  described  as  beautiful,  with  oval  faces, 
Grecian  features,  raven  or  golden  locks,  as  the  case 
might  be,  and  forms  of  the  Venus  mould ;  while 
the  men  whom  she  honored  with  her  friendship 
were  invariably  intellectual  giants,  with  penetrating 
eyes  and  expansive  brows. 

When  Mrs.  Anne  Royall  established  her  office 
on  Capitol  Hill,  in  1836,  and  announced  that  The 
Huntress  would  be  published  every  Saturday,  she 
became  the  ancestress  and  forerunner  in  journal- 
ism of  a  long  line  of  men  and  women  of  the  pen 
who  have  since  then  written  of  the  sayings  and 
doings  of  people  of  their  day.  Prior  to  this  time 
there  was  little  to  be  found  in  the  Washington 
papers  of  social  events,  or  of  the  people  who  entered 
into  the  gay  life  of  the  capital.  Mrs.  Anne  Royall, 
in  her  Huntress,  Mr.  N.  P.  Willis,  in  his  Washing- 
ton letters  written  for  the  New  York  Mirror,  and 
Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett,  in  his  correspondence 
to  the  Courier  inaugurated  a  departure  in  joumalism, 
291 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

whether  for  good  or  ill  is  still  a  question  open  to 
discussion. 

If  Mrs.  Royall  described  her  favorites  with  a  pen 
dipped  in  honey,  gall  and  wormwood  were  not 
wanting  when  dealing  with  those  who  had  been  so 
unfortunate  as  to  incur  her  disapproval,  which 
frankness  of  expression  led  Mr.  John  Quincy 
Adams  to  bestow  upon  the  journalistic  free-lance 
the  title  of  the  "  virago-errant  in  enchanted  armor." 

True  to  her  own  sex  and  profession,  Mrs.  Royall 
announced  in  her  paper,  of  February,  1847,  ^^^^ 
"  Washington  City  was  honored  with  the  presence 
of  three  of  America's  most  talented  authoresses, — 
Mrs.  L.  H.  Sigoumey,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Phelps,  and  Mrs. 
Ann  S.  Stephens." 

Another  literary  visitor  to  Washington  in  the 
early  forties  was  Charles  Dickens,  who  was  feted  at 
the  capital,  as  in  other  cities,  and  was  received  at 
the  White  House  by  President  Tyler,  his  daughter- 
in-law,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Semple.  Mr.  Dick- 
ens spoke  of  the  official  reception  at  the  Executive 
Mansion  as  extremely  dignified,  informal,  and  well 
managed.  The  usual  number  of  visitors  had  been 
augmented  in  consequence  of  the  presence  of  two 
literary  lions,  Washington  Irving  having  accompa- 
nied Mr.  Dickens,  and  the  English  visitor  expressed 
himself  as  greatly  surprised  that  this  vast  concourse 
of  over  three  thousand  persons  created  no  disorder  or 
confusion.  Mrs.  Dickens  was  with  her  husband  in 
292 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

Washington,  and  afterwards  in  Richmond,  as  ap- 
pears from  some  letters  which  passed  between  Mr. 
William  Seaton  and  the  English  novelist,  in  which 
Mrs.  Seaton  and  Mrs.  Dickens  exchanged  pleasant 
messages. 

An  interesting  guest  who  was  welcomed  to  the 
capital  in  1841  by  President  Tyler  was  the  young 
Prince  de  Joinville.  The  President,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  dinner  of  ceremony,  gave  a  ball  in  the 
Prince's  honor.  It  is  said  that  when  members  of 
the  Cabinet  remonstrated  against  dancing  in  the 
White  House  as  undignified,  Mr.  Tyler  replied 
that  a  dance  would  best  please  a  young  navy  man 
and  a  Frenchman. 

**  Accordingly,"  says  a  young  girl  who  was  present  at  this 
entertainment,  '*  we  had  a  charming  and  unusually  brilliant  ball. 
All  our  army  and  navy  officers  were  in  uniform,  as  the  Prince 
and  his  suite  wore  theirs,  and,  for  the  son  of  a  King,  the  Diplo- 
matic Corps  were  in  full  court  dress.  Mr.  Webster,  as  Secretary 
of  State,  was,  next  to  the  President,  the  chief  person.  For  fine 
appearance,  for  complete  fitness  for  that  representative  position, 
both  Mrs.  Webster  and  himself  have  never  been  surpassed. 

"  The  Prince  was  tall  and  fine-looking,  and  Miss  Tyler  and 
himself  opened  the  ball,  while  those  of  us  who  knew  French 
well  were  assigned  to  his  officers. 

"  We  had  remained  in  the  oval  reception-room  until  the  com- 
pany was  assembled,  and  then,  the  President  leading,  the  whole 
foreign  party  were  taken  through  all  the  drawmg-rooms,  ending 
by  our  taking  places  for  the  ^adrille  d"  honneur  in  the  East 
Room  ;  that  ceremony  over,  dancing  became  general,  and  we 
were  free  to  choose  our  partners." 
293 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

This  young  prince  carried  away  many  pleasant 
memories  of  social  and  also  of  rural  life  in  America. 
After  travelling  through  the  West  and  staying  in 
the  family  of  a  farmer,  in  order  to  see  the  harvest- 
ing, he  was  greatly  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the 
families  of  working-people  had  meat  on  their  tables 
three  times  a  day,  and  by  the  intelligence  of  this 
class  in  the  community.  "  The  farmer,  and  even 
his  wife,"  he  said,  "talked  politics,  although  she 
made  excellent  bread  and  of  so  many  kinds." 

The  winter  succeeding  the  inauguration — that  of 
1842 — was  an  eventful  one  in  the  White  House. 
In  January  of  this  year  Elizabeth  Tyler,  the  Presi- 
dent's third  daughter,  was  married  in  the  East 
Room  to  William  Waller,  of  Williamsburg,  Vir- 
ginia, and  in  the  following  September  lovely  Mrs. 
Tyler,  wife  of  the  President,  was  removed  ft-om  the 
joys  and  sorrows  of  earth. 

Mrs.  Robert  Tyler  presided  over  the  White 
House  during  the  years  that  intervened  between 
the  death  of  her  mother-in-law  and  Mr.  Tyler's 
second  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  of  New 
York. 

Mrs.  Tyler  was  many  years  younger  than  the 
President,  and  was  handsome  and  youthful  in  ap- 
pearance. Although,  as  Mrs.  Fremont  says,  the 
new  mistress  of  the  White  House  was  somewhat 
commented  upon  by  old-fashioned  people,  "be- 
cause she  drove  four  horses  (finer  than  those  of  the 
294 


SEVERAL   ADMINISTRATIONS 

Russian  minister),  and  because  she  received  seated, 
her  arm-chair  on  a  sHghtly  raised  platform,  in  a 
velvet  gown  with  three  feathers  in  her  hair,"  young 
Mrs.  Tyler  made  numerous  friends  during  her 
eight  months  of  official  life,  and  left  the  Executive 
Mansion  regretted  by  many.  It  is  said  that  even 
political  enemies  of  the  President  had  only  words 
of  praise  for  his  charming  young  wife. 


295 


XII 

MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

THE  Washington  life  of  the  days  of  Presidents 
Van  Buren,  Polk,  Taylor,  and  Fillmore  pre- 
sented many  of  the  characteristics  that  distinguish 
it  to-day.  Although  the  city  has  spread  out  upon 
lines  of  beauty,  and  muddy  streets  and  inadequate 
sidewalks,  over  which  cows  and  pigs  rambled  at  will, 
no  longer  annoy  the  visitor,  as  they  did  M.  de 
Bacourt  in  1840,  the  capital  still  retains  a  certain 
simplicity  and  homelike  charm  that  belonged  to  it 
in  earlier  times.  Then,  as  now,  the  presence  of 
many  foreigners  in  the  diplomatic  service  gave  to 
this  city  a  cosmopolitan  character,  while  a  gener- 
ous, warm-hearted  hospitality  which  belonged  to 
its  social  life,  being  distinctly  American,  has  not 
disappeared  amid  the  growth  and  expansion  of  the 
larger  city,  with  its  stricter  code  of  social  and  diplo- 
matic etiquette.  In  addition  to  the  official  circles 
and  the  changing  population  of  Washington,  it 
has  always  possessed  an  attractive  and  interesting 
society,  composed  of  the  old  families  of  the  District 
and  of  those  who,  having  gone  there  upon  business, 
have  yielded  to  its  attractions  and  made  it  their 
home. 

296 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

Lady  Emmeline  Stuart  Wortley,  who  visited 
Washington  in  1849,  while  keenly  alive  to  certain 
crudities  and  incongruities  in  its  life,  found  much 
to  admire  in  the  beauty  of  its  public  buildings  and 
the  graceful  hospitality  and  intelligence  of  its  citi- 
zens. M.  de  Bacourt,  on  the  other  hand,  looking 
always  through  glasses  dimmed  by  prejudice,  saw 
nothing  but  the  defects  of  the  rambling  village-like 
capital,  which  he  was  pleased  to  call  his  prison. 
After  being  hospitably  received  at  the  White 
House  by  Mr.  Van  Buren,  whom  he  had  met  on 
the  Continent,  the  French  diplomat  had  nothing 
more  favorable  to  say  of  the  President  than  that 
"  his  politeness  was  finished  and  in  perfect  imitation 
of  a  gentleman  ;"  while  of  Daniel  Webster  and 
Henry  Clay  he  recorded  that  one  was  pompous  to 
a  degree,  and  the  other  of  the  gentleman  farmer 
type.  The  Washington  ladies  whom  M.  de  Ba- 
court met  at  Mrs,  Meade's,  at  Mrs.  Woodbury's,  at 
the  Baron  Bodisco's,  and  at  the  various  weddings 
and  assemblies  of  the  season  he  described  as 
"badly  dressed,  badly  trained,  and  badly  combed, 
in  fact,  like  third-rate  English  people,"  while,  if  pos- 
sible, their  dinners  and  suppers  were  more  execrable 
than  themselves.  Mrs.  Abraham  Van  Buren  the 
critical  Frenchman  alone  excepted  in  his  sweeping 
and  adverse  criticism  of  the  belles  and  beauties  of 
the  capital.  "  The  daughter-in-law  of  President 
Van  Buren  would,"  he  said,  "  in  any  country  pass 
297 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

for  an  amiable  woman  of  graceful  and  distinguished 
manners  and  appearance." 

Lady  Wortley  was  in  Washington  during  the 
brief  administration  of  General  Taylor,  to  whom 
she  and  her  little  daughter  were  presented  by 
Madame  Calderon  de  la  Barca,  wife  of  the  Spanish 
minister.  Of  "  the  hero-President,"  as  the  English 
lady  was  pleased  to  call  him,  she  has  left  an  inter- 
esting and  sympathetic  description : 

"  Mrs.  Bliss,  the  charming  daughter  of  the  President,  was  in 
the  drawing-room  when  we  first  went  in.  Mrs.  Taylor  has 
delicate  health,  and  does  not  do  the  honors  of  the  Presidential 
mansion.  Mrs.  Bliss  received  us  most  cordially  and  cour- 
teously, saying  her  father  would  come  as  soon  as  his  presence 
could  be  dispensed  with.  Presently  after,  the  President  made 
his  appearance  :  his  manners  are  winningly  frank,  simple,  and 
kind,  and  though  characteristically  distinguished  by  much  straight- 
forwardness, there  is  not  the  slightest  roughness  in  his  address. 
There  was  a  quick,  keen,  eagle-like  expression  in  the  eye  which 
reminded  me  a  little  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington' s.  .  .  .  He  was 
so  exceedingly  good-natured  as  to  talk  a  great  deal  to  my  little 
girl  about  roses  and  lilies,  as  if  he  had  been  quite  a  botanist  all 
his  life.  This  species  of  light,  daffydowndilly  talk  was  so  par- 
ticularly and  amiably  considerate  and  kind  to  her,  that  it  over- 
came her  shyness  at  once,  and  the  dread  she  had  entertained  of 
not  understanding  what  he  might  say  to  her.  .  .  .  General  Taylor 
spoke  very  kindly  of  England,  and,  adverting  to  the  approaching 
acceleration  and  extension  of  steam  communication  between  her 
and  America  (the  contemplated  competition  about  to  be  estab- 
lished by  *  Collins' s  line'),  he  exclaimed,  'The  voyage  will  be 
made  shorter  and  shorter,  and  I  expect  England  and  America 
will  soon  be  quite  alongside  of  each  other,  ma'am.' 
298 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

**  'The  sooner  the  better,  sir,'  I  most  heartily  responded,  at 
which  he  bowed  and  smiled. 

<<  <  We  are  the  same  people,'  he  continued,  *  and  it  is  good 
for  both  to  see  more  of  each  other.' 

«*  *  Yes,'  I  replied,  •  and  thus  all  detestable  old  prejudices  will 
die  away.' 

"  *  I  hope  so,'  he  continued;  *  it  will  be  for  the  advantage  of 
both.' 

*•  He  continued  in  this  strain,  and  spoke  so  nobly  of  England 
that  it  made  one's  heart  bound  to  hear  him.  And  he  evidently  felt 
vvhat  he  said  ;  indeed,  I  am  sure  that  honest,  high-hearted,  true-as- 
steel  old  hero  could  not  say  anything  he  did  not  feel  or  think." 

Mrs.  Polk  proved  a  graceful  and  accomplished 
hostess  during  her  four  years'  residence  in  the 
White  House,  and  made  many  friends  in  Wash- 
ington ;  but  Mrs.  Zachary  Taylor,  who  succeeded 
her,  was  less  ready  to  meet  the  demands  of 
society.  This  good  lady,  who  had  endured  with- 
out complaint  the  hardships  of  army  life  upon 
the  frontier,  and  was,  as  the  General  said,  as  much 
of  a  soldier  as  himself,  was  too  ill  at  the  time  of 
the  inauguration  to  enjoy  with  her  husband  the 
crowning  triumph  of  his  life.  Upon  Mrs.  William 
W.  Bliss,  the  daughter  of  General  and  Mrs.  Taylor, 
devolved  the  social  duties  of  the  White  House.* 

*  Mrs.  Bliss  afterwards  married  Mr.  Dandridge,  and  in  her 
Virginia  home  still  recalls  for  the  entertainment  of  her  friends  the 
pleasures  of  her  life  in  the  White  House.  Her  sister  was  the 
first  wife  of  Jefferson  Davis,  his  second  wife  was  a  Miss  Howell, 
of  the  New  Jersey  family  of  that  name. 
299 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mrs.  Bliss — Betty  Bliss,  as  her  friends  called  her — 
brought  to  her  task  charm,  tact,  and  the  enthusiasm 
of  youth.  Many  persons  still  recall  this  young 
matron  as  she  appeared  at  the  White  House  din- 
ners and  receptions, — a  beautiful,  gracious,  atten- 
tive, and  self-forgetfiil  hostess.  The  President's 
son,  afterwards  known  as  General  Dick  Taylor,  a 
dashing  Confederate  officer,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Jefferson  Davis,  were  often  in  Washington.  All 
the  young  people  of  the  President's  family  were 
at  the  capital  in  March,  1849,  ^^^  entered  with 
him  into  the  gayeties  attending  the  inauguration. 
One  of  the  merriest  of  this  family  group  was 
Rebecca  Taylor,  a  niece  of  the  President,  who  at 
her  uncle's  request  was  taken  from  the  Convent 
School  at  Emmetsburg  and  brought  to  the  capital 
to  enjoy  the  festivities  of  the  White  House.  This 
sixteen-year-old  debutante,  who  was  attractive  and 
witty,  made  many  friends,  and  entered  into  all  the 
social  pleasures  of  her  uncle's  brief  administration. 
A  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  Washington 
was  that  upon  which  was  laid  the  corner-stone  of 
the  beautiful  monument  which  to-day 

**  High  from  the  city's  heart,  a  Hfted  spear. 
In  its  straight  splendor  malces  the  heavens  seem  near." 

On  July  4,  1 850,  the  comer-stone  of  the  Wash- 
ington Monument  was  laid  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies,  in  which  the  President    and  his  Cabinet 

300 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

took  part,  in  the  presence  of  many  distinguished 
residents  of  the  capital  and  a  large  number  of  in- 
vited guests.  Upon  the  evening  of  the  Fourth, 
President  Taylor  was  taken  ill  of  a  malady  which 
proved  fatal,  and  on  the  8th  of  July  following  he 
breathed  his  last. 

The  sudden  death  of  President  Taylor  brought 
to  the  White  House  a  man  and  woman  of  simple 
domestic  tastes  and  habits,  whose  intelligence  and 
tact  enabled  them  to  enter  acceptably  into  the  social 
life  of  the  capital. 

President  Fillmore,  a  handsome  man,  distin- 
guished in  appearance,  with  dignified  and  courtly 
manners,  had  been  Comptroller  of  his  own  State,  and 
had  represented  her  interests  in  the  nation's  councils 
for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  Fillmore,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Abigail  Powers,  like  another  Abi- 
gail who  had  first  presided  over  the  White  House, 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Puritans,  and,  like  her,  was  a 
woman  of  intellectual  ability  and  cultivation.  The 
President  and  his  wife  were  accompanied  by  their  son 
and  daughter.  Powers  Fillmore  acted  as  his  father's 
secretary,  while  Miss  Fillmore  assisted  her  mother, 
who  was  extremely  delicate,  in  her  duties  as  mis- 
tress of  the  White  House.  Friends  of  Miss  Abi- 
gail Fillmore,  who  still  remember  her  with  fond 
affection,  speak  of  her  as  a  cultivated,  studious  girl, 
an  exceptionally  brilliant  musician,  and  a  hostess  of 
great  tact  and  charm. 

301 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Benjamin  Ogle  Tayloe  and  other  persons 
living  in  Washington  at  this  time  have  described 
the  winter  succeeding  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Fill- 
more as  one  of  unusual  gayety  and  attractive- 
ness. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tayloe  entertained  with  a 
generous  yet  discriminating  hospitality  in  their 
beautiful  house,  which  is  still  standing  on  Lafayette 
Square ;  while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webster,  who  occu- 
pied the  Swann  house  on  the  north  side  of  the 
square,  inaugurated  a  series  of  evening  receptions 
which  brought  together  the  most  distinguished 
and  charming  residents  of  Washington,  and  such 
visitors  as  Washington  Irving,  Horace  Greeley, 
Mrs.  Lippincott,  better  known  as  "Grace  Green- 
wood," Charlotte  Cushman,  Louis  Kossuth,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Edward  Everett,  and  many  interesting 
members  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps. 

If,  as  Lady  Emmeline  Wortley  cleverly  remarked, 
Washington  reminded  her  of  "a  vast  plantation 
with  the  houses  kept  far  apart  as  if  to  give  them 
room  to  grow  and  spread,"  these  oases  scattered  over 
the  plain  were  all  centres  of  a  delightful  hospitality. 
Capitol  Hill  was  in  the  middle  of  the  century  and 
even  later  a  favorite  residence  district.  One  of 
the  most  attractive  homes  in  this  neighborhood 
was  that  of  Senator  Benton,  where  the  presence  of 
his  lovely  wife,  four  charming  daughters,  and  the 
delights  of  good  music  and  brilliant  conversation 
drew  to  his  fireside  many  interesting  men  and 
302 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

women  of  the  day.  Here  General  Dix,  then  Sen- 
ator from  New  York,  the  Prussian  minister  Baron 
von  Gerolt,  Mr.  Sumner,  Mr.  Buchanan,  and  Samuel 
F.  B.  Morse  were  all  frequent  and  informal  visitors. 
The  Ellsworths,  like  their  neighbors  the  Bentons, 
were  warm  friends  of  Mr.  Morse,  the  women  of  the 
family  being  ever  ready  to  lend  a  sympathetic  ear 
to  his  so-called  visionary  schemes  in  the  days  when 
he  was  laughed  at  in  Congress,  his  funds  exhausted, 
and  his  health  threatened.  It  is  not  strange  that 
the  first  message  sent  over  the  electric  wire  by 
the  inventor  was  to  Miss  Ellsworth, — "See  what 
God  hath  wrought ;"  to  which  Mrs.  Fremont  says 
he  might  well  have  added,  "  And  what  mountains 
are  moved  by  the  patient,  tender  faith  of  women  I" 
Near  neighbors  of  the  Bentons  were  General  Dix 
and  Francis  Scott  Key,  the  latter  a  lawyer  of  con- 
siderable distinction,  although  known  to-day  chiefly 
as  the  author  of  the  "  Star-Spangled  Banner." 
General  Walter  Jones,  who  was  associated  with 
Mr.  Key  in  the  celebrated  Gaines  case,  lived  in  a 
square  brick  house  still  standing  at  the  comer  of 
Second  and  B  Streets,  on  the  old  turnpike  road  to 
Baltimore,  within  a  stone's-throw  from  the  Capitol. 
The  building  used  while  the  Capitol  was  being 
rebuilt,  and  ever  after  known  as  the  "Old  Capi- 
tol," was  a  famous  boarding-house,  where  Mr. 
Calhoun  and  other  politicians  lived,  while  in  an- 
other house  near  by,  kept  by  the  Misses  Harrington, 
303 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Buchanan  and  Mr.  William  King  made  their 
home. 

Another  pleasant  social  centre  was  the  square  on 
F  Street  between  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth, 
where  ex-President  John  Quincy  Adams  and  his 
family  long  resided.  Here  also  lived  Dr.  Robert 
K.  Stone  and  Mrs.  Thomton,  whose  house  was 
afterwards  the  residence  of  Dr.  Thomas  Miller,  a  dis- 
tinguished physician,  who  attended  so  many  Presi- 
dents that  he  well  deserved  the  title  of  "  court 
physician"  laughingly  accorded  him  by  his  friends. 

Many  fine,  substantial  old  mansions  on  F,  E,  G, 
H,  and  I  Streets  were  the  residences  of  the  Jesups, 
Kearneys,  Macombs,  Meades,  Hobans,  Porters, 
Rigges,  and  Markoes.  Pennsylvania  Avenue  was 
a  favorite  place  of  residence  in  the  middle  of  the 
century.  One  of  the  Six  Buildings,  still  standing, 
between  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  Streets, 
was  the  home  of  the  Honorable  Richard  Rush, 
while  in  another  lived  Dr.  Johnston,  a  celebrated 
physician  of  old  Washington.  Opposite  the  Six 
Buildings  lived  Dr.  Magruder,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
Clay,  and  Mrs.  Tobias  Lear,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington, who  had  stayed  with  her  at  Mount  Vernon, 
and,  living  beyond  the  middle  of  the  last  century, 
is  still  remembered  as  the  beloved  "Aunt  Fanny" 
of  many  Washington  children. 

A  short  distance  east  of  the  Six  Buildings,  on  I 
Street,  was  William  O'Neill's  famous  inn,  the 
304 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

Franklin  House,  among  whose  patrons  were  the 
most  distinguished  statesmen  of  the  last  century ; 
while  upon  the  triangular  space  in  front  of  the 
tavern,  which  was  formerly  occupied  by  a  market- 
house,  the  witty  and  eccentric,  but  always  earnest, 
itinerant  preacher,  Lorenzo  Dow,  frequently  dis- 
coursed to  large  audiences.  Several  blocks  east  of 
the  Six  Buildings  Mr.  Francis  Preston  Blair,  editor 
of  The  Globe,  lived  for  many  years  in  a  house  still 
occupied  by  his  descendants.  This  house,  No. 
1651  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  was  during  Mr.  Blair's 
lifetime  the  resort  for  many  prominent  men  of 
the  day, — General  Jackson,  Thomas  H.  Benton, 
Levi  Woodbury,  and  President  Van  Buren  being 
among  its  frequent  visitors.  Here  resided  Mr.  Ban- 
croft, the  historian,  while  he  was  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  under  President  Polk.  Near  neighbors  of 
Mr.  Blair,  around  the  comer  on  Jackson  Place, 
were  Commodore  Stockton,  and  the  Livingstons, 
who  leased  the  Decatur  house  for  some  years. 
Here  afterwards  lived  Mr.  James  Gore  King,  whose 
daughter,  Mrs.  Bancroft  Davis,  distinctly  remembers 
seeing  Mr.  Webster  go  in  and  out  of  the  Swann 
house  opposite.  The  long,  low  building  at  the  cor- 
ner of  H  Street  and  Jackson  Place,  built  by  Com- 
modore Decatur,  was  afiierwards  the  residence  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Beale  for  so  long  a  term  of  years  that  it 
is  often  spoken  of  as  the  Beale  house.  The  Swann 
mansion,  on  the  square,  in  which  Mr.  Webster 
=°  305 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

resided  while  Secretary  of  State  was  afterwards 
for  many  years  the  home  of  Mr.  William  W. 
Corcoran,  the  generous  and  judicious  benefactor 
of  Washington  City.  Mrs,  Bancroft  Davis  says 
that  Mrs.  Madison  was  often  to  be  seen  at  the 
Websters'  evening  receptions,  wearing  her  old-time 
turban  and  kerchief,  smiling  and  gracious,  courted 
and  beloved  by  every  one. 

Mrs.  Madison's  home  was  on  the  east  side  of 
the  square,  at  the  corner  of  H  Steeet,  on  what  is 
now  known  as  Madison  Place.  Her  neighbors 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Ogle  Tayloe,  while 
beyond  them  lived  Commodore  Rodgers,  whose 
residence  occupied  the  site  of  the  Lafayette  Theatre. 

West  of  St.  John's  Church,  and  next  to  Mr. 
William  W.  Corcoran's  house,  was  the  home  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Ritchie,  editor  of  the  Richmond  In- 
quirer. Here  Mr.  Ritchie  lived  for  many  years 
with  his  family  of  charming  daughters,  until  one 
by  one  they  flew  away  to  nests  of  their  own.* 
East  of  the  church  is  a  house  built  by  Matthew*St. 
Clair  Clarke,  in  which  Lord  Ashburton  lived  during 
the  discussion  of  the  treaty  of  1842.  Sir  Henry 
Bulwer  resided  in  this  house  in  the  middle  of  the 

*  This  house  was  afterwards  the  home  of  the  Honorable  Gid- 
eon Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy  under  President  Lincoln. 
On  the  same  side  of  H  Street,  at  the  corner  of  Connecticut 
Avenue,  Uved  Commodore  Shubrick,  in  a  house  still  occupied  by 
his  descendants. 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

century,  and  here  his  nephew,  Robert  Bulwer, 
afterwards  Lord  Lytton,  is  said  to  have  written  his 
narrative  poem  "  Lucile."  Lady  Bulwer,  a  daughter 
of  Lord  Cowley,  had  spent  her  early  years  in  Paris, 
and  was  charming,  cultivated,  and  a  thorough  mu- 
sician. The  Bulwers'  Tuesday  evenings  and  musical 
parties  drew  around  them  the  most  interesting 
people  in  the  Washington  world,  as  did  the  enter- 
tainments of  Sir  Henry  Bulwer's  successor,  Sir  John 
Crampton,  which  added  not  a  little  to  the  attrac- 
tions of  the  Fillmore  administration. 

The  interest  of  the  Washington  seasons  in  the 
early  fifties  was  greatly  enhanced  by  the  happy 
circumstance  that  Jenny  Lind,  Parodi,  Sontag,  and 
Albani  sang  to  crowded  houses,  that  Lola  Montez 
danced  for  the  entertainment  of  the  gay  world, 
while  Miss  Cushman,  Miss  Davenport,  Lester  Wal- 
lack.  Burton,  and  Brougham  appeared  in  tragedy 
and  comedy. 

To  the  capital,  with  its  many  pleasures  and  in- 
terests, social,  political,  and  literary,  there  came  in 
the  winter  of  1852,  by  a  singular  turn  of  the  wheel 
of  fortune,  a  young  girl  who  was  well  fitted  to 
appreciate  all  its  varied  attractions.  The  story  of 
her  introduction  to  the  life  of  Washington  and  to 
that  of  the  White  House  is  gracefully  and  sympa- 
thetically told  by  the  fortunate  young  visitor.  Miss 
Julia  F.  Miller,  of  Buffalo.  After  explaining  that 
she  and  Abigail  Fillmore  were  schoolmates  and 
307 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

dear  friends,  and  that  Mr.  Fillmore,  who  seemed  to 
her  Hke  a  king  or  a  prince  in  a  fairy-tale,  was  the 
kindest  and  gentlest  of  men,  and  ready  to  take  any 
amount  of  trouble  to  gratify  his  daughter  and  her 
young  friends,  Miss  Miller  relates  a  prophetic  con- 
versation which  occurred  between  herself  and  her 
schoolmate. 

"  One  day  Abbie  said  that  when  she  was  grown  up  she 
meant  to  teach  school. 

**  *  Oh,  no,  you  won't,'  said  I,  *  my  father  says  that  your 
father  will  be  President  some  day,  and  you  won't  be  allowed  to 
teach  school.  You  will  be  the  President's  daughter  and  live  in 
the  White  House.' 

"'What  nonsense,'  she  said,  *I  am  going  to  be  a  teacher 
and  earn  my  own  living.' 

"  « Well,  I  don't  believe  any  such  thing.  But  if  you  do 
teach  school  I'll  come  to  your  school  as  a  pupil  even  if  I'm  an 
old  woman  and  married.' 

'•'All  right,'  said  Abbie,  laughing,  'you'll  look  well  doing 
it.  And  if  my  father  ever  gets  to  be  President,  you  shall  visit 
me  in  the  White  House.' 

"  *  Sure  ?'  ^ 

"'Sure.'" 

These  words,  uttered  lightly  by  girlish  lips, 
would  have  been  quite  forgotten,  like  many  similar 
predictions,  had  not  both  prophecies  and  promises 
been  literally  fulfilled. 

After  completing  her  course  at  the  famous  school 
conducted  by  Miss  Catharine  Sedgewick,  at  Lenox, 
Massachusetts,  Miss  Fillmore  attended  the  State 
308 


Abigail  Fillmore 
Bv  Le  Clear 


^j,-    ^ 
iP 


Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton 

Painted  by  Charles  Martin  in  185 1 

Page  317 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

Normal  School  at  Albany.  One  of  the  rules  of 
this  institution  was  that  each  graduate  should  teach 
at  least  three  months  ;  and,  although  after  Miss  Fill- 
more's entrance  into  the  school  Mr.  Fillmore  was 
elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  his 
daughter  remained  in  Albany  and  fulfilled  the  con- 
ditions of  her  contract.  True  to  her  promise.  Miss 
Miller  attended  her  friend's  classes,  which  she  says 
were  admirably  conducted. 

About  a  year  later,  when  Mr.  Fillmore  became 
President  of  the  United  States,  the  other  half  of 
the  prophecy  was  fulfilled.  Miss  Fillmore  went  to 
the  White  House  with  her  parents,  and  an  invita- 
tion to  Miss  Miller  to  visit  her  there  followed  in 
due  time. 

**  It  came  at  last,  the  longed-for  invitation  to  the  White 
House,"  says  Miss  Miller.  "  In  the  summer  of  '  5 2  Abbie  paid 
a  visit  to  Buffalo  and  spent  part  of  the  time  with  me  at  my  father's 
house  and  pleaded  hard  with  my  father  and  mother  to  let  me 
go.  ...  It  was  a  fine  thing  for  Miss  Miller,  and  much  to  the 
credit  of  Miss  Fillmore  that  her  head  was  not  so  turned  by  the 
situation  in  which  she  found  herself  that  she  forgot  old  friends 
and  neighbors.  .  .  .  Finally,  consent  was  given.  My  modest 
preparations  were  soon  made,  my  two  trunks  packed,  and  I 
went  to  Washington  under  the  escort  of  Hon.  S.  G.  Haven  to 
be  the  guest  of  the  President.  We  arrived  there  the  Saturday 
before  the  first  Monday  in  December,  that  Mr.  Haven,  Member 
for  Erie  County  might  be  present  at  the  opening  of  Congress." 

Miss   Miller's  record,  which   has   been  supple- 
mented by  recollections  written  out  for  the  amuse- 
309 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

ment  of  the  young  people  In  her  family,  abounds 
in  animated  descriptions  of  the  pleasures  that  filled 
her  days,  of  official  and  social  entertainments,  of 
receptions  and  balls,  of  state  dinners  at  the  White 
House,  and  of  quiet  evenings  in  the  Library  with 
the  Fillmore  family  and  a  few  intimate  friends. 
"After  dinner,"  she  says,  "we  sometimes  spent  a 
few  minutes  in  the  Red  Room,  but  usually  went 
upstairs  to  the  Library.  The  Library  was  an  oval 
room,  over  and  exactly  corresponding  to  the  Blue 
Room." 

It  was  during  Mr.  Fillmore's  administration  that 
this  room  was  fitted  up  and  used  as  a  library.  Mrs. 
Fillmore,  with  her  scholarly  tastes  and  pursuits, 
felt  the  need  of  books  in  the  White  House,  and 
at  the  President's  suggestion  Congress  was  induced 
to  supply  them  as  part  of  the  furniture  of  the 
Executive  Mansion.  As  the  appropriation  granted 
was  for  books  solely,  and  as  there  was  no  fund  for 
refurnishing,  Mrs.  Fillmore  used  her  own  ingenuity 
in  making  the  room  habitable.  Being  a  good  house- 
keeper, like  most  intellectual  women,  she  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  new  carpet  in  the  Blue  Room  had 
been  put  down  over  the  old  one.  Both  were  taken 
up  and  cleaned,  and  the  old  carpet  put  down  in  the 
Library.  A  few  pieces  of  furniture  were  borrowed 
from  other  rooms  of  the  White  House,  which, 
with  the  addition  of  some  comfortable  chairs,  fa- 
vorite books,  and  Miss  Fillmore's  piano  and  harp, 
310 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

made  the  room  homelike  and  attractive.  In  this 
pleasant  Library,  with  its  cheerful  wood  fire,  the 
President  and  his  family  spent  their  evenings  and 
received  intimate  friends. 

Miss  Miller  recalls  many  delightful  hours  in  the 
Library,  before  the  gay  season  began,  when  there 
was  reading  aloud,  interesting  conversation,  and 
always  Miss  Fillmore's  charming  music.  Some- 
times Powers  Fillmore  would  join  his  sister  in 
singing  such  old-time  melodies  as  "  Sweet  Vale  of 
Avoca,"  "  In  the  Desert  a  Fountain  is  Springing," 
or  "  Old  Folks  at  Home,"  which,  as  Miss  Miller 
says,  "  was  new  in  those  days." 

In  the  Washington  of  that  day,  as  in  a  later 
time,  the  gayeties  of  the  season  did  not  begin  with 
the  1st  of  January.  There  was,  however,  a  ball 
at  the  home  of  Mr.  George  W.  Riggs,  the  banker, 
and  a  number  of  dinners  were  given  by  the  Presi- 
dent to  the  members  of  his  Cabinet,  to  the  Judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  to  Senators,  to  Congressmen, 
and  to  the  Corps  Diplomatique. 

*'At  all  of  these  dinners,"  says  Miss  Miller,  <'I  had  my 
place  and  a  more  or  less  distinguished  escort.  I  was  invited  to 
one  or  two  Cabinet  dinners  where  there  were  young  ladies  in  the 
family,  and  one  at  the  house  of  the  Honorable  John  P.  Kennedy. 
I  got  to  know  Miss  Kennedy  and  Miss  Dulany  very  well.  At 
this  dinner  I  was  escorted  by  the  Honorable  Thomas  Corwin  of 
Ohio,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  one  of  the  most  agreeable 
talkers  I  ever  met,  and  the  darkest  white  man  I  ever  saw." 
311 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

The  description  given  by  Miss  Miller  of  a  New- 
Year's  reception  proves  that  much  the  same  eti- 
quette was  observed  in  1853  ^^  ^^^^  which  marks 
the  levees  of  the  twentieth  century. 

"  The  President  and  his  wife  and  family  stood  together.  The 
Cabinet  ladies  and  guests  of  the  house  in  the  second  row,  a  little 
to  one  side  where  their  acquaintances  could  speak  to  them  with- 
out interrupting  the  procession.  Mrs.  Fillmore  wore  wine- 
colored  velvet,  Honiton  lace  and  diamond  brooch.  Abbie 
wore  a  silk  ot  a  changeable  green  and  red,  a  pattern  brocade 
with  three  flounces  and  fine  French  muslin  embroideries  in  waist 
and  sleeves.  Mrs.  Cyrus  Powers  wore  black  velvet.  She  had 
magnificent  black  hair,  four  feet  long,  made  into  a  rope  coil  at 
the  back  of  her  head.  I  wore  a  Napoleon  blue  silk  with  black 
velvet  trimming  and  embroidered  muslin  sleeves. 

*'  First  of  all  came  the  Corps  Diplomatique,  the  gentlemen  in 
regular  court  dress,  stiff  with  embroidery  and  gold  lace.  The 
ladies  were  dressed  in  the  style  of  the  winter,  all  very  hand- 
somely, of  course,  but  I  only  remember  one  clearly.  It  was 
Mme.  Bodisco,  the  American  wife  of  the  aged  Russian  Minister. 
He  was  past  seventy  and  she  twenty-eight.  He  married  her 
when  she  was  sixteen.  She  was  very  beautifiil,  not  at  all  flirtatious 
nor  unhappy,  and  was  the  mother  of  seven  boys.  There  was  a 
pretty  story  afloat  how  M.  Bodisco  used  to  walk  with  her  to 
school  and  carry  her  books.  When  she  was  sixteen  he  would 
wait  no  longer  and  they  were  married.  On  this  New- Year's 
day  she  wore  a  heavy  white  silk  with  three  richly  embroidered 
flounces,  a  lovely  little  white  mantilla  to  match  and  a  white  vel- 
vet bonnet  and  plumes. 

"It  was   a  beautiful  sight.      The    President  received  in   the 

Blue  Room.      Persons  entered  the  Red  Room  and  passed  into 

the  Blue,  thence  through  the  Green  Drawing- Room  and  into  the 

great  East  Room  from  which  there  was  an  exit  built  from  the 

312 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

windows.  The  Blue  Room  was  full  of  these  richly  dressed  men 
and  women.  One  of  the  ladies  of  the  English  legation,  Mrs. 
Corbett,  wife  of  a  secretary  of  Minister  Crampton,  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  original  Minna  Troil  in  Scott's  novel  of  the 
Pirate.  I  often  saw  her.  She  was  very  pretty,  and  lively, 
danced  a  good  deal  and  dressed  always  in  white. 

"After  the  Corps  Diplomatique  came  the  Cabinet  members, 
the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  their  wives.  Some  of  the 
ladies  remained  during  the  whole  reception.  Those  who  re- 
mained did  so  by  invitation  and  were  unbonneted.  Everybody 
else  came  in  handsome  street  costume. 

'*  Then  anybody  and  everybody  came  in,  and  were  without  ex- 
ception sober,  decent  and  well  behaved.  One  little  street  waif 
was  caught  in  the  current  and  drawn  into  the  crowd.  She  had 
on  a  calico  frock,  a  little  red  shawl  and  a  red  knit  hood,  and  was 
much  frightened.  But  the  President  shook  hands,  smilingly, 
with  her  and  whispered  to  the  Marshall  to  take  care  of  her.  At 
three  o'clock  the  reception  was  over,  and  we  were  glad  enough 
to  get  up-stairs." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  events  of  the  holi- 
day season  was  an  old-fashioned  Twelfth-night 
party,  where  Miss  Miller  met  Commodore  Wilkes, 
of  Japanese  fame,  and  some  of  his  officers.  One 
of  them.  Captain  Ringgold,  drew  the  ring  in  the 
cake,  which  made  him  King  of  the  revels.  He 
very  gallantly  presented  the  ring  to  Miss  Fillmore, 
which  made  her  Queen  of  the  evening. 

"  This  he  should  not  have  done,"  says  the  criti- 
cal chronicler ;  "  it  should  have  been  given  to  the 
lady  who  drew  the  bean,  who  happened  to  be 
the  daughter  of  the  hostess;  but  he  would  not 
313 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

allow  Abbie  to  return  the  ring,  which  she  offered  to 
do  when  she  heard  of  the  rule.  '  Keep  it  as  a 
souvenir  of  the  evening  and  of  me.'  So  she  did, 
and  we  had  quite  a  jolly  little  evening." 

Among  the  many  noted  persons  whom  Miss 
Miller  met  were  General  Winfield  Scott,  who  she 
says  was  head  and  shoulders  above  all  the  rest,  and 
nearly  always  in  uniform,  brave,  handsome,  and 
frankly  vain  ;  Judge  Butler,  from  South  Carolina ; 
and  the  Honorable  Thomas  L.  Clingman.  Mr. 
Clingman  was  small,  with  gray  eyes  and  a  dark 
skin,  and  limped.  "  It  is  said,"  adds  Miss  Miller, 
"  that  he  carried  a  bullet  from  a  duel,  which  was 
very  interesting.  He  told  every  lady  that  he  was 
in  love  with  her,  and  kept  on  doing  it,  and  nobody 
paid  any  attention  to  it." 

Another  famous  beau  of  the  Washington  world 
in  those  days  was  Mr.  John  Barney,  of  Baltimore. 
Odd,  humorous,  and  gallant,  Miss  Miller  still  recalls 
the  quaint  figure  of  this  seventy-year-old  gentle- 
man, his  necktie  ornamented  with  a  spread-eagle  in 
diamonds,  and  his  hand  and  heart  at  the  disposal  of 
each  new  belle. 

The  women  whose  beauty  most  impressed  Miss 
Miller  were  Miss  Chalfont,  of  Cincinnati;  Mrs. 
Stannard,  a  lovely  dark-eyed  widow  from  Rich- 
mond ;  Miss  Adele  Cutts,  Miss  Carroll,  and  Miss 
Dulany.  Adele  Cutts,  who  aftenvards  married 
the  Honorable  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Miss  Miller 
314 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

describes  as  "a  dark-haired  beauty  with  skin  like 
the  petals  of  a  water-lily.*  Miss  Violetta  Carroll 
(not  of  Carrollton,  but  of  Washington)  was  a  tall, 
fair  blonde,  who  attracted  the  attention  of  every 
one  to  herself  as  she  entered  the  room." 

Miss  Mary  Dulany,  whom  Miss  Miller  found  so 
beautiful  and  charming,  was  a  daughter  of  Grafton 
Lloyd  Dulany,  of  Baltimore.  A  great  favorite  of 
Washington  Irving  was  this  young  girl,  whom  he 
frequently  met  at  Mr.  John  P.  Kennedy's  house  in 
Washington.  Miss  Dulany  married  Gardiner  G. 
Rowland,  of  New  York.  After  the  marriage  a 
large  reception  was  given  to  the  beautiful  bride  by 
her  mother-in-law,  upon  which  occasion  Mr.  Irving, 
then  in  his  seventy-fifth  year,  came  down  from 
Sunnyside  to  offer  his  congratulations  to  the  young 
couple.  Mr.  Irving,  when  speaking  of  Miss  Du- 
lany's  great  beauty,  was  wont  to  add,  thoughtfully, 
that  she  was  "  such  a  good  girl." 

An  English  man  of  letters  who  visited  Balti- 
more in  the  middle  of  the  last  century  wrote  of 
Miss  Dulany, — 

*'  I  have  never  seen  a  countenance  more  faultlessly  lovely. 
The  pose  of  the  small  head  and  the  sweep  of  the  neck,  re- 
sembled the  miniatures  of  Guilia  Guisi  in  her  youth,  but  the 
lines  were  more  delicately  drawn  and  the  contour  more  refined. 

*  Mrs,  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  in  1866,  married  General  Rob- 
bert  Williams,  and  lived  for  many  years  in  Washington,  admired 
and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her. 
315 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

The  broad,  open  forehead,  the  brows  firmly  arched  without  an 
approach  to  heaviness,  the  thin,  chiselled  nostril  and  perfect 
mouth  cast  in  the  softest  feminine  mould,  reminded  you  of  the 
First  Napoleon.  Quick  mobility  of  expression  would  have  been 
inharmonious  there.  With  all  its  purity  of  outline,  the  face 
was  not  severe  or  coldly  statuesque,  only  superbly  serene.  Not 
lightly  to  be  ruffled  by  any  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling;  a  face 
of  which  you  never  realized  the  perfect  glory  'till  the  pmk  coral 
tmt  flushed  fairly  through  the  clear  pale  cheeks,  while  the  lift 
of  the  long,  trailmg  lashes,  revealed  the  magnificent  eyes." 

Another  beauty  of  this  time  who  charmed  the 
Washington  world  was  Miss  Gabriela  Chapman, 
of  Virginia,  who  married  the  Marques  de  Potestad 
Fornari,  attache  to  the  Spanish  legation  in  the 
United  States.  Madame  de  Potestad  was  tall  and 
distinguished  in  appearance,  with  dark  hair,  a 
dazzling  complexion,  and  eyes  of  sapphire  blue. 
A  Washington  woman,  in  speaking  of  her,  says, 
"  Every  one  who  knew  Madame  de  Potestad  adored 
her.  I  remember  her  as  a  most  beautiful  and 
brilliant  woman.  I  have  never  seen  any  one  who 
compared  with  her  except  her  friend  Mrs.  Edward 
Beale."  * 

At  the  foreign  courts  which  the  Marquesa  de 

*  Mrs.  Edward  Fitzgerald  Beale  was  a  daughter  of  the  Hon- 
orable Samuel  Edwards,  for  many  years  a  member  of  Congress 
from  Chester,  Pennsylvania.  When  Mr.  Beale  was  appointed 
minister  to  Austria  Mrs.  Beale  accompanied  him  and  was 
greatly  admired  at  the  Court  of  Vienna. 
316 


s  § 


3     &■ 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

Potestad  visited  with  her  husband,  who  was  in  the 
diplomatic  service,  she  gracefully  and  charmingly 
represented  her  country.  In  Paris  the  central  figure 
of  a  gay  and  brilliant  circle,  which  included  the 
most  distinguished  Frenchmen  of  the  day,  Madame 
de  Potestad  was  always  known  as  a  good  wife  and 
mother,  as  well  as  a  brilliantly  beautiful,  attractive, 
and  witty  woman. 

At  one  of  the  fairy-like  fetes  given  by  the  Em- 
press Eugenie,  at  the  Hotel  d'Albe,  which  she  had 
bought  for  her  mother,  Madame  de  Potestad  is  de- 
scribed as  radiantly  beautiful,  "  in  a  costume  created 
by  Worth,  called  clair  de  lune  dans  un  bois"  which 
was  well  suited  to  the  lovely  gardens  with  their 
picturesque  bosquets  in  which  the  Empress  enter- 
tained her  guests. 

Although  Miss  Miller  entered  into  many  gay 
scenes  and  received  quite  enough  attention  from 
distinguished  men  and  women  to  have  turned  so 
young  a  head,  the  fact  that  the  most  lasting  im- 
pressions were  made  upon  her  mind  by  a  visit  to 
Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton  and  by  a  day  spent  at 
Mount  Vemon  speaks  much  for  her  taste  and  dis- 
crimination. 

Of  the  visit  to  Mrs.  Hamilton  Miss  Miller 
writes : 

"  She  was  ninety-two  years  of  age  at  this  time  and  died  two 
years  after.      She  was  a  tiny  little  woman,  most  active  and  in- 
teresting, although  she  could  never  have  been  pretty  in  her  life. 
317 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

She  kept  me  by  her  side,  holding  me  by  the  hand,  telling  me 
of  the  things  most  interesting  to  me.  How  she  knew  Wash- 
ington (with  whom  she  was  a  great  favorite),  and  Lafayette, 
who  was  *  a  most  interesting  young  man. '  How  they  were 
often  at  the  house  of  her  father.  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler.  How 
when  she  was  a  child  she  was  free  of  the  Washington  residence, 
and  if  there  was  company  Mrs.  Washington  would  dress  her 
up  in  somethmg  pretty  and  make  her  stay  to  dinner,  even  if  she 
came  uninvited,  so  that  she  was  presentable  at  table.  She 
showed  me  the  Stuart  portrait  of  Washington,  painted  for  her, 
and  for  which  he  sat ;  the  old  Schuyler  chairs  and  tiny  mirrors  j 
most  interesting  to  me.  This  tiny  dot  of  a  woman  and  of  such 
a  great  age,  happened  to  think  of  something  in  her  room  which 
she  wanted  to  show  Abbie.  Her  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton Holley,  offered  to  get  it  for  her.  '  Sit  down,  child,  don't 
you  think  I  can  get  it  myself?'  and  up  she  went  and  got  it, 
whatever  it  was." 

Of  the  manner  in  which  the  Mount  Vernon 
visit  was  arranged  Miss  Miller  gives  the  following 
account : 

**  One  day  the  statue,  which  stands  in  the  centre  of  Lafayette 
Square,  was  unveiled,  and  a  large  party  of  the  President's 
friends  was  invited  to  see  the  ceremony  from  the  windows  of 
the  White  House  and  to  lunch  afterwards.  While  we  were  at 
lunch,  Mr.  Andrew  Kennedy  sat  by  me.  *  Now  do  you  know. 
Miss  Miller,'  said  he,  '  I've  been  thinking  that  although  it  is  a 
grand  house,  some  other  scenes  might  be  livelier  ones  for  a  young 
lady,  and  Miss  Fillmore  and  all  of  them  are  very  busy  and  a 
good  deal  taken  up  with  cares  and  so  forth,  and  there  might  be 
things  you'd  like  to  see  and  do,  and  here  is  an  old  fellow  with 
grown-up  daughters  and  nothing  on  earth  to  do  but  what  you 
and  they  want  him  to  do  for  them.  Now  then  what  is  it  ?' 
318 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

"  *  Oh,  how  good  you  are,'  I  cried.  *  I  have  spoken  of 
going  to  Mt.  Vernon,  and  somehow  we  have  never  gone.  Of 
course  they  have  all  been  there,  but  I  really  don't  feel  that  I 
ought  to  leave  Mecca  without  seeing  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet.  * 

"'Why  of  course  not,  of  course  not.  Well,  well,  we'll 
manage  it.      My  girls  want  to  go  too.' 

**  About  a  week  after  this,  as  I  had  begun  to  wonder  why  I 
did  not  hear  from  Mr.  Kennedy,  Abbie  and  I  had  been  at  the 
Capitol,  and  when  returning  down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  the 
carriage  was  suddenly  stopped  and  two  gentlemen,  hats  in  hand, 
stood  at  the  door  to  speak  with  Miss  Fillmore,  Mr.  Andrew 
Kennedy  and  Mr.  John  Washington,  the  proprietor  of  Mt. 
Vernon,  and  in  brief  this  was  the  conversation  :* 

<'  Said  Mr.  Kennedy,  *  Mr.  Washington  is  a  sort  of  cousin 
of  ours,  and  is  stopping  with  my  brother  John.  Mr.  Wash- 
ington wants  us  all  to  come  down  to  Mt.  Vernon  to  spend  the 
day  with  him,  and  Washington  Irving  is  with  us  now,  and  I 
hear  that  Miss  Miller  has  never  been  there,  and  can't  you  all 
join  us  and  go  down  to-morrow  ?  We  are  going  to  the  theatre 
to-night,  and  if  it  is  not  too  late,  we  could  stop  at  the  White 
House  on  the  way  home  and  arrange  it.' 

"  There  was  a  grand  dinner  at  the  White  House  that  night. 
Just  as  the  last  guest  departed,  Mr.  Kennedy  and  Mr.  Wash- 
ington came  in,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fillmore  were  duly  enlightened 
as  to  the  plan,  and  I  stood  by  and  begged  with  my  eyes.  Mr. 
Fillmore  did  not  offer  the  slightest  objection,  and  invited  the 
whole  party  from  the  Keimedy  house  to  breakfast  at  nine  o'clock. 


*  Mount  Vernon  was  at  this  time  the  home  of  Mr.  John  A. 
Washington,  the  estate  having  been  inherited  by  him  from  his 
uncle.  Judge  Bushrod  Washington.  The  daughter  Lulu,  of 
whom  Miss  Miller  speaks,  was  Louisa  Washington,  who  married 
Colonel  R.  P.  Chew. 

319 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

Mr.  Washington  had  chartered  the  steamer,  and  it  would  start 
at  our  pleasure,  probably  about  ten  o'clock.    .    .    . 

"  It  was  a  very  jolly  breakfast  party  indeed,  although  Mr. 
Fillmore  was  a  most  stately  host,  and  Mr.  Irving  was  rather 
quiet  but  genial,  even  in  silence.  There  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fillmore,  Powers,  Abbie  and  myself  of  the  household.  Mr. 
Andrew  Kennedy,  Mr.  John  Kennedy,  and  his  niece,  Mary 
Kennedy,  Miss  Dulany  of  Baltimore,  Washington  Irving  and 
John  Washington. 

'*  At  table  the  talk  naturally  turned  upon  General  Washington. 

**  *  Did  you  ever  see  Washington  ?'  said  Mr.  Fillmore. 

"  '  Only  once,'  said  Mr.  Irving.  '  I  shall  never  forget  it. 
I  was  about  five  years  old,  and  was  being  led  along  Broadway 
by  my  Scotch  nurse.  She  spied  the  General  just  going  into  a 
shop.  She  caught  me  up  in  her  arms  and  rushed  after  him, 
calling  out,  **  General,  General,  here's  a  bairn  that's  called  after 
you.  Give  him  your  blessing  and  he  shall  be  blessed."  And 
he  turned  around  and  laid  his  hand  on  my  head  and  said,  <*God 
bless  the  little  boy."  I  seem  to  feel  it  now  sometimes,'  said 
Irving,  reverently,  *  and  I  know  that  I  have  been  blessed.' 

* '  This  rather  quieted  down  the  party ,  and  we  soon  left  the 
table  and  drove  to  the  steamer  dock.  When  we  landed  Mr. 
Irving  offered  me  his  arm,  and  we  walked  up  the  hill  together 
and  were  met  by  Mrs.  Washington  and  her  daughter  Lulu  a 
girl  of  twelve  or  so.  They  showed  us  all  the  relics,  the  swords 
of  Washington,  the  old  copying  books,  antedating  the  days 
when  he  made  his  mark  on  the  cherry  tree,  and  some  other 
writings  of  his  ;  the  famous  'pitcher  portrait,'  a  chance  likeness 
caught  by  some  foreigner,  sketched  and  carried  to  Delft  and 
being  used  as  the  decoration  of  a  Delft  pitcher,  was  found  to 
be  one  of  the  best  likenesses  of  Washington  ever  taken.  This 
unfortunately  was  the  only  copy  that  could  be  procured.  There 
was  also  the  key  of  the  Bastille,  and  some  few  prints  of  the 
French  King  and  Queen,  presented  by  Lafayette.  We  were  not 
320 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

shown  the  upper  rooms,  as  it  was  then  a  family  residence.  We 
visited  the  tomb  of  Washington ,  and  I  gathered  a  few  pebbles 
which  I  kept  for  years.  Mr.  Irving  plucked  a  branch  of  holly 
from  the  tree  overhanging  the  tomb,  which  he  gave  me,  saying 
*  It  is  immortal.'  Lulu  Washington  gave  me  the  twig  of  a 
lemon-tree  in  the  conservatory  which  George  Washington  had 
planted  with  his  own  hands,  so  she  said.  We  enjoyed  the 
beautiful  prospect  from  the  porch,  and  I  discovered  that  the 
house  was  built  of  finely  hewn  logs,  bevelled  to  look  like  cut 
stone. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful,  clear,  warm  day.  I  had  my  full  share 
of  happiness.  On  the  way  back  all  of  the  men  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  beautiful  Miss  Dulany,  whom  I  discovered  to  be 
one  of  the  prettiest  girls  I  ever  saw.  Her  beauty  is  now  his- 
torical, as  Mr.  Irving  said  of  her,  '  She  is  one  of  the  loveliest 
and  sweetest  girls  I  have  ever  seen,'  And  just  so  she  seemed 
to  me.    .    .    . 

*'  There  was  to  be  a  levee  that  evening  and  the  Chubb  ball  to 
come  after  it  and  many  were  going  there  from  the  levee.  Then 
it  had  come  out  all  about  our  little  excursion,  and  that  Wash- 
ington Irving  would  be  there,  and  many  came  for  a  glimpse  of 
him.  He  was  there  and  escorted  Miss  Kennedy  and  Miss  Du- 
lany, who  each  wore  a  spray  of  the  famous  holly  which  he  had 
given  them.  At  this  time  Mr.  Irving  was  seventy-two  years 
old.  A  placid,  sweet,  lovable  old  gentleman,  not  tall,  rather 
stout,  with  large,  soft  brown  eyes,  rather  quiet,  and  gave  the 
impression  of  being  a  listener  rather  than  a  talker,  and  a  quiet 
observer  rather  than  an  actor  on  the  world's  stage." 

Although  Miss  Miller  enjoyed  the  Chubb  ball 
and  danced  until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
which  was  considered  extreme  dissipation  at  that 
time,  she  says  that  the  visit  to  Mount  Vernon  was 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

glory  enough  for  one  day,  long  to  be  remembered  as 
"  a  spotless  white  day"  in  her  life. 

The  young  girl  who  left  Washington  in  1853 
did  not  revisit  it  until  the  boundary-line  of  the 
new  century  had  been  crossed  *  While  appre- 
ciating the  greater  beauty  of  the  capital  of  to- 
day, with  its  wide  avenues  and  charming  circles, 
the  glamour  of  early  association  still  glorified  the 
narrow  streets  and  simpler  dwellings  of  the  older 
and  far  less  attractive  city.  It  was  with  pleasure 
that  she  tumed  from  the  superb  residences  upon 
Dupont  Circle  and  Massachusetts  Avenue  to  rest 
her  eyes  upon  such  familiar  landmarks  as  the  Van 
Ness  mansion,  the  Octagon,  and  the  French  Em- 
bassy on  H  Street.  Kalorama  no  longer  crowned 
the  heights  above  Rock  Creek  ;  the  house  of  Mr. 
Riggs,  the  banker,  and  of  Mr.  Chubb,  the  scenes  of 
brilliant  entertainments,  were  both  torn  down  or 
modernized  beyond  all  recognition ;  but  the  White 
House,  filled  with  memories  of  a  happy  past,  was 
little  changed,  except  that  a  conservatory  had  been 
added  on  the  side  next  to  the  old  banquet-room, 
and  Lafayette  Square  in  front  of  it  presented  many 
familiar  fa9ades. 

Lafayette  Square,  or  Jackson  Square,  as  it  was 
called  for  a  time,  is  the  most  interesting  in  its  asso- 

*  Miss  Julia  F.  Miller,  as  Mrs.  Frank  M.  Snow,  of  Buffalo,  re- 
visited Washington  in  the  spring  of  1 90 1 . 
322 


MID-CENTURY   GAYETIES 

ciations  of  any  square  in  the  United  States,  with  the 
exception  of  Independence  Square  in  Philadelphia 
and  the  Boston  Common  and  its  surroundings. 
This  park,  in  whose  centre  General  Jackson  and 
his  charger  perform  feats  of  horsemanship  and 
agility  that  have  not  been  surpassed  in  any  suc- 
ceeding decade,  has  been  crossed  by  all  the  great 
statesmen  and  patriots  of  the  past  century ;  while 
St.  John's  Church,  on  its  north  side,  has  been  at- 
tended regularly  or  occasionally  by  a  long  line  of 
Presidents,  Congressmen,  soldiers,  and  sailors,  from 
the  days  of  Monroe,  Adams,  Marshall,  Story,  Web- 
ster, Clay,  Brown,  Barney,  Porter,  and  Bainbridge 
to  those  of  Lincoln,  Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan,  and 
Farragut. 

In  the  houses  that  surround  Lafayette  Square, 
and  in  those  nearby  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and 
on  H  Street,  much  of  the  history  of  the  last  cen- 
tury has  been  made, — for  here  lived  Daniel  Web- 
ster, Chief  Justice  Taney,  Edward  Livingston,  Wil- 
liam H.  Seward,  James  G.  Blaine,  Thomas  Ritchie, 
the  Blairs,  Commodores  Decatur,  Rodgers,  Stock- 
ton, Wilkes,  Porter,  and  Shubrick,  Gideon  Welles, 
and  George  Bancroft, 

Lafayette  Square,  or  President's  Square, — for  so 
it  was  called  by  the  gracious  lady  who  lived  in  the 
gray  house  at  the  corner  of  Madison  Avenue, — as 
it  stands  to-day,  girt  about  by  houses  rich  in  asso- 
ciations of  the  past,  is  a  spot  loved  and  honored 
323 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  REPUBLIC 

by  the  citizens  of  Washington.  A  never-faiHng 
centre  of  interest  is  this  beautiful  square  to  those 
who  visit  the  capital,  and  bringing  their  children, 
point  out  to  them  on  all  sides  the  houses  where  the 
great  men  of  the  country  lived,  and  the  paths  they 
trod  daily  on  their  way  to  the  home  of  the  nation's 
chief, — that  low,  wide-spread  White  House,  the 
home  of  many  Presidents,  which  from  the  days  of 
John  Adams  to  those  of  William  McKinley  and 
Theodore  Roosevelt  has  been  the  scene  of  simple, 
dignified  hospitality,  and  of  a  domestic  life  of  which 
the  nation  may  well  be  proud. 


324 


INDEX 


A 

Adams,  Abigail,  213,  219,  225 

Adams,  George,  212 

Adams,  Henry,  126 

Adams,  John,  in  Philadelphia,  20,  27;  jealousy  of  Washington, 
28,  38 ;   family  of,  69 ;   in  capital,  71,  72,  75,  ^^,  324 

Adams,  Mrs.  John,  in  Philadelphia,  27,  35,  41 ;  in  New  York, 
32;  levees,  34,  35,  40;  family  of,  69;  in  White  House,  75, 
"JT,   charming  letters  of,  157 

Adams,  John,  Jr.,  212,  225,  233 

Adams,  Mrs.  John,  Jr.,  214,  225,  233 

Adams  John  Quincy,  Senator  from  Massachusetts,  89,  125; 
draws  up  code  of  etiquette,  185 ;  candidate  for  Presidency, 
195,  201;  entertains  Lafayette,  206,  208;  home  life  of,  208; 
characteristics  and  habits  of,  208,  210,  218,  219,  221 ;  etiquette 
of  administration,  211;  residing  in  F  Street,  212,  234,  304; 
appearance  and  manners  of,  216,  231;  political  principles  of, 
221;  loses  election,  234,  237;  death  of,  234,  235;  political 
criticism  of,  251 ;    describes  Anne  Royall,  292 

Adams,  Mrs.  John  Quincy,  191,  210;  intellectual  tastes  of,  191 ; 
entertains  Lafayette,  207 ;  home  life  of,  208 ;  social  success  of, 
210,  211,  231,  233,  234;  gives  ball  to  General  Jackson,  212- 
217,  230 ;   drawing-room,  232,  233 

Addison,  Rev.  Park,  287 

Agg,  John  T.,  verses  on  ball,  213-216,  230 

Alexander  L,  of  Russia,  149,  193,  194 

Alexandria,  reasons  for  not  choosing  it  as  capital,  91 

Allen,  Anne  Penn.     (See  Mrs.  James  Greenleaf.) 

Allen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James,  30 

Allen,  William,  Chief  Justice,  30 

Allston,  Washington,  230 

Ames,  Fisher,  on  site  of  capital,  23 

Amory,  Rufus  G.,  218-220 


325 


INDEX 


Arlington,  99,  100 

Armstrong,  General  John,  163,  166 

Ashburton,  Lord,  306 


Bacourt,  Adolph  A.,  impressions  of  Washington,  296,  297 

Bagot,  Sir  Charles,  180 

Bainbridge,  Commodore  William,  177,  323 

Balch,  Harriet,  82 

Bancroft,  George,  historian,  275,  305,  323 

Barker,  Jacob,  saves  picture  of  Washington,  169-171 

Barlow,  Joel,  author,  121,  206,  230 

Barney,  Commodore  Joshua,  177,  323 

Barney,  John,  128,  314 

Barron,  Captain  James,  duel  with  Decatur,  187,  188 

Barton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Pennant,  258 

Beale,  Edward  Fitzgerald,  305,  316 

Beale,  Mrs.  Edward  Fitzgerald,  305,  316 

Beale,  Thomas,  46 

Beall,  Christiana,  81 

Beall,  George,  80 

Beauharnais,  Hortense  de,  189,  190 

Bell,  John,  217 

Belvoir,  94 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  291 

Benton,  Thomas  H.,  214,  302,  305 

Berrien,  John  M.,  240 

Bingham,  William,  34 

Bingham,  Mrs.  William,  entertains,  34,  35,  40 

Binney,  Horace,  lawyer  in  Girard  case,  288 

Binney,  Mary,  describes  Philadelphia  society,  32,  23 

Bladensburg,  battle  of,  163-170 

Blaine,  James  G.,  153,  323 

Blair,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Samuel  P.  Lee),  258 

Blair,  Francis  Preston,  editor  of  the  Globe,  260,  262,  305,  323 

Blennerhassett,  Harman,  127 

Bliss,  Mrs.  William  W.  (Mrs.  Dandridge),  presides  at  White 

House,  298-300 
Blodget,  Samuel,  47,  62,  63 

326 


INDEX 


Blodget,  Mrs.  Samuel,  35,  36,  62-63 

Bodisco,  Baron,  entertains  young  people,  275-277 ;   marriage  of, 

278-282,  312 
Bodisco,  Madame   (Harriet  Williams),  wedding  of,  275,  278- 

282;  youth  and  beauty  of,  276,  277,  312;   second  marriage  of, 

282 
Bonaparte,  Jerome,  74,  146-148 
Bonaparte,  Madame  Jerome,  145-148 
Bonaparte,  Napoleon,  147-149 
Bostock  House,  97,  98 
Boyle,  Hon.  John,  89 

Bradley,  Abraham,  Assistant  Postmaster-General,  62 
Branch,  Governor  John,  240 
Brent,  Robert,  mayor  of  Washington,  64,  65 
Brent,  Robert  Young,  65 
Brown,  General  Jacob,  177,  201,  203,  214,  323 
Brown,  Glenn,  51,  52 
Brown,  Miss,  describes  Capitol,  161,  162;    account  of  burning 

of  Washington,  163,  164,  171-175 
Buchanan,  James,  Senator  from  Pennsylvania,  260-262,  304 ;  at 

both  weddings  of  Madame  Bodisco,  278,  282;    Washington 

friends  of,  303 
Bulfinch,  Charles,  178 
Bullus,  Dr.  John,  151 
Bulwer,  Lady  Henry,  307 
Bulwer,  Robert  (Owen  Meredith),  307 
Bulwer,  Sir  Henry,  306 
Burnes,  David,  46,  47,  122 

Burnes,  Marcia.     (See  Mrs.  John  P.  Van  Ness.) 
Burr,  Aaron,  duel  with  Hamilton,  124;   trial  of,  126-128 
Busey,  Dr.  Samuel  C,  62,  186 

C 

Cabin  John,  174 

Cadwalader,  General  John,  115 

Cadwalader,  Maria.     (See  Mrs.  Samuel  Ringgold.) 

Calhoun,  John  C,  in  Washington,  133,  303 ;  in  social  life  of 
capital,  177,  190,  201,  287;  opposed  to  J.  Q.  Adams,  221 ;  op- 
posed to  Jackson,  242 

327 


INDEX 


Calhoun,  Mrs.  John  C,  192,  242-244 
Calvert,  George,  country-seat  of,  98 
Campbell,    George    W.,    marriage   of,    155-157;     Secretary   of 

Treasury,   168,  169;    minister  to  Russia,  193,  194;    receives 

Lafayette,  206 
Campbell,  Mrs.  George  W.,  in  Washington,  122,  168 ;   marriage 

of,  155-157;   is  received  by  Empress  of  Russia,  193,  194 
Campbell,  Lizinka,  194 
Carroll,  Archbishop  John,  83,  84.  85 
Carroll,  Charles,  of  Bellevue,  168,  169-170 
Carroll,  Charles,  of  Carrollton,  17,  69,  80,  83,  85 
Carroll,  Charles,  Jr.,  of  Carrollsburg,  65 
Carroll,  Daniel,  of  Duddington,  owns  land  in  District,  46,  47, 

181 ;   builds  Duddington,  48,  64,  65 ;    contention  vi^ith  Major 

L'Enfant,  48,  65 ;    family  of,  181 
Carroll,  Daniel,  of  Upper  Marlboro,  45,  83,  85 
Carroll,  Violetta,  314,  315 
Carusi's  Assembly  Rooms,  224,  263 
Cary,  Mary,  93 

Caton,  Louisa  C.  (Duchess  of  Leeds),  145,  146,  149 
Caton,  Mary  Ann  (first  Mrs.  Patterson,  second  Lady  Welles- 
ley),  145,  148 
Chapman,  Gabriela.     (See  Madame  de  Potestad.) 
Chase,  Judge  Samuel,  trial  of,  124,  125,  126 
Chastellux,  Marquis  de,  20 
Chester,  Colonel  Robert  J.,  195,  196,  198 
Chew,  Ann,  186,  187,  225,  227 
Chew,  Benjamin,  226 
Chew,  Mrs.  R.  P.,  319 
Chilham  Manor,  96 
Clark,  Matthew  St.  Clair,  306 
Clay,  Henry,  in  House,  133,  195 ;   in  social  life  of  Washington, 

x-JT,  190,  201,  217,  239;    elects  a  President,  195;    at  Bodisco 

wedding,  280;    Washington  residence  of,  304 
Clay,  Mrs.  Henry,  212,  238,  304 
Clean  Drinking,  164 
Clingman,  Thomas  L.,  314 
Clinton,  Governor  George,  y^ii  132 
Cockburn,  Admiral,  162,  175,  176 
328 


INDEX 


Coles,  Colonel  Isaac,  140-141 

Coles,  Colonel  John,  139,  140 

Coles,  Edward,  133,  134 

Coles,  Eliza,  140 

Coles,  Sally  (Mrs.  Andrew  Stevenson),  139,  179,  180 

Cooper,  Samuel,  Adjutant-General,  226 

Cooper,  Thomas  Apthorpe,  228,  229 

Corcoran,  William  W.,  274,  279,  306 

Corwin,  Hon.  Thomas,  311 

Cox,  John,  mayor  of  Georgetown,  85,  204 

Crampton,  Sir  John,  307 

Cranch,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William,  69,  70 

Crawford,   William   H.,   candidate   for   Presidency,    192,    195; 

Secretary  of  Treasury,  206,  217 
Crawford,  Mrs.  William  H.,  189,  192 
Crockett,  David,  217 
Crowninshield,  Benjamin  W.,  214 
Cushman,  Charlotte,  302,  307 
Custis,  Eliza.     (See  Mrs.  Thomas  Law.) 
Custis,  George  Washington  Parke,  99,  100,  loi,  169, 
Custis,  Mrs.  George  Washington  Parke,  100 
Custis,  John  Parke,  15,  45,  98,  99 
Custis,  Mrs.  John  Parke,  45,  98,  99 
Custis,  Mary.     (See  Mrs.  R.  E.  Lee.) 
Cutler,  Dr.  Manasseh,  in  Washington,  63,  64,  82,  89 ;   describes 

Jefferson's  dinners,  107,  108,  no 
Cutts,  Adele,  at  White  House,  264,  286;    marries  Stephen  A, 

Douglas,  314;   marries  General  Williams,  315 
Cutts,  Richard  D.,  brother-in-law  of  Mrs.  Madison,  123,  142, 

15s,  168,  169,  206;    in  House  from  Maine,  143,  Washington 

residence  of,  176 
Cutts,  Mrs.  Richard  D.,  sister  of  Mrs.  Madison,  115,  118,  122, 

142,  156,  168,  169;    marriage  of,  123;    portrait  of,  143 

D 

Dallas,  Alexander  J.,   169 

Dallas,  Hon.  George  M.,  269,  290 

Dana,  Dr.  Samuel  W.,  119 

Dandridge,  Mrs.    (See  Mrs.  William  W.  Bliss.) 

329 


INDEX 


Davidson,  Samuel,  46 

Davis,  Jefferson,  299 

Davis,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  299,  300 

Davis,  Mrs.  Bancroft,  305,  306 

Davis's  Hotel,  inaugural  ball  held  at,  131 

Decatur,   Commodore   Stephen,    duel  with  Barron,    187,    188; 

residence  of,  in  Lafayette  Square,  305,  323 
Decatur,  Mrs.  Stephen,  187-189,  274 
Depeyster,  Robert  G.  L.,  170,  171 
Dexter,  Samuel,  64 
Dickens,  Charles,  novelist,  in  Washington  and  Richmond,  292, 

293 
Dickens,  Mrs.  Charles,  in  Washington,  292,  293 
Dickinson,  Charles,  251 
Digges,  Edward,  94 
Digges,  Dudley,  94 
Digges,  Mrs.  Dudley,  56,  57,  96 
Digges,  Dr.  Ignatius,  96 
Digges,  Mrs.  Ignatius,  96,  97 
Digges,  George  A.,  94,  95 
Digges,  Thomas,  95 
Dix,  John  A.,  303 
Donelson,  Andrew  Jackson,  239,  258 
Donelson,  Mrs.  Andrew  Jackson,  presides  over  White  House, 

239,  257,  258,  262,  266;  appearance  of,  240;  opposed  to  Mrs. 

Eaton,  244 ;  niece  of  Mrs.  Jackson,  253,  254 
Donelson,  John,  198 
Donelson,  Mrs.  John,  246,  249 
Dow,  Lorenzo.  305 
Duddington,  48,  96 
Dulany,  Mary  (Mrs.  Gardiner  G.  Howland),  311;  beauty  and 

charm  of,  314-316;   admired  by  Washington  Irving,  315,  321, 

322 ;   visits  Mount  Vernon,  320 
Dunlap,  William,  231 


E 

Eastin,  Mary  (Mrs.  Lucius  J.  Polk),  239 
Eaton,  General  John  H.,  240-242,  244,  255,  256 
Eaton,  Mrs.  John  H.,  241-245,  255,  256 
330 


INDEX 


Edwards,  Hon.  Samuel,  316 

Ellicott,  Andrew,  surveys  "Ten  Mile  Square,"  26,  27;    super- 
sedes L'Enfant,  49,  50;   ability  of,  53-56 
Ellicott,  Joseph,  53 

Ellsworth,  Miss,  first  telegraphic  message  sent  to,  303 
Emmet,  Thomas  Addis,  218 
Eppes,  John  Wayles,  109,  no 
Eppes,  Mrs.  John  Wayles,  109,  no,  112,  118 
Erskine,  David  Montague,  114 
Erskine,  Mrs.  David  Montague,  115,  145 
Eustis,  William,  132 
Everett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward,  302 


F 

Fairfax,  Mrs.  George  William,  93 

Fairfax,  Rev.  Bryan,  15,  93 

Fillmore,  Abigail,  characteristics  of,  301 ;  accomplished  musi- 
cian, 301,  310,  311;  education  of,  308,  309;  in  Washington 
life,  312,  314;   visit  to  Mount  Vernon,  318-321 

Fillmore,  Millard,  succeeds  President  Taylor,  296,  301,  309; 
appearance  and  manners  of,  301,  308;  domestic  life  of,  in 
White   House,   310,   311,   319,   320;     New- Year's   reception, 

312,  313 

Fillmore,  Mrs.  Millard,  characteristics  of,  301,  310;  furnishes 
Library  in  White  House,  310;   receives  in  White  House,  312, 

313,  318,  320 

Fillmore,  Powers,  301,  311,  320 

Fitzhugh,  William,  100 

Floyd,  Catherine,  116,  117 

Floyd,  John,  214 

Force,  Peter,  229 

Forrest,  General  Uriah,  50,  88 

Forsyth,  John,  214 

Forsyth,  Mrs.  John,  214 

Foster,   Sir  Augustus,   secretary  to  British  minister,  64,   130, 

151 ;   remarks  on  social  life  of  Georgetown  and  Washington, 

65,  79,  80,  86,  103.  104 
Fox,  Sir  Henry,  279,  280 

331 


INDEX 


Franklin,  Dr.  Benjamin,  54,  55,  129 

Fremont,  Mrs.  John  C,  describes  Mrs.  Madison,  273;   Bodisco 

wedding,  275,  278-281 ;  friend  of  S.  F.  B.  Morse,  303 
Fulton,  Robert,  121 

G 

Gadsby's  Hotel,  203 

Gaillard,  John,  71 

Gaines,  General  E.  P.,  287 

Gaines,  Mrs.  E.  P.,  celebrated  law-suit,  287 

Gales,  Joseph,  edits  National  Intelligencer,  65,  159,  162,  229 

Gales,  Mrs.  Joseph,  213 

Gallatin,  Albert,  describes  birthnight  ball,  S7,  38 ;  in  Washing- 
ton life,  67,  218;  Secretary  of  Treasury,  132,  133;  describes 
Jackson,  196 

Gallatin,  Mrs.  Albert,  76,  122,  144 

Gantt,  Eliza,  34,  97 

Gardiner,  Julia,  marries  President  Tyfer,  294 

Gerry,  Eldridge,  63,  64 

Gerry,  Mrs.  Eldridge,  35,  63,  64,  140 

Girard,  Stephen,  will  case  argued,  288-290 

Gittings,  Anne,  145 

Gittings,  James,  20,  145 

Gittings,  Richard,  146 

Gittings,  Mrs.  Richard,  145,  146 

Goddard,  P.  Henry,  125,  126 

Goodrich,  S.  D.,  209 

Gordon,  George,  80 

Gouveneur,  Samuel  L.,  secretary  to  James  Monroe,  186,  187 

Gouveneur,  Mrs.  Samuel  L.,  marriage  of,  186,  187 

Granger,  Gideon,  132,  133 

Greeley,  Horace,  302 

Green  Hill,  96 

Greenleaf,  James,  marries  Anne  P.  Allen,  29-31 ;  invests  in 
Washington  lots,  69 ;   death  of,  70-71 

Greenleaf,  Mrs.  James,  30,  31,  70 

Greenwood,  Grace,  302 


Griffin,  Cyrus,  39 
Gunston  Hall,  93 


332 


INDEX 


Habersham,  Joseph,  Postmaster-General,  62 

Hamilton,  General  Alexander,  on  site  of  capital,  23-25 ;    death 

of,  123,  124 
Hamilton,   Mrs.  Alexander,  later  years  in  Washington,   271, 

317,  318 
Hamilton,  Paul,  132,  214 
Handy,  Samuel  J.  K.,  213 
Harper,  Robert  Goodloe,  126,  135 
Harris,  Sally,  verses  on  ball,  215,  216 
Harrison,  Frederic,  describes  Capitol,  53 
Harrison,  William  Henry,  in  war  of  1812,  201 ;    election  of, 

283 ;   death  of,  284,  285 
Haven,  Hon.  S.  G.,  309 

Hay,  Hortensia  (Mrs.  L.  N.  Rogers),  189,  190 
Hay,  Mrs.   George,  daughter  of  Mr.  Monroe,   185,   186,    189, 

190 
Hayne,  Robert  Y.,  214,  222 
Hellen,  Mary.     (See  Mrs.  John  Adams,  Jr.) 
Hervey,  Colonel  Sir  Felton,  149 
Hervey,  Lady.     (Duchess  of  Leeds.) 
Highlands,  The,  89 
Hill,  Charles,  residence  of,  60 
Hill,  Isaac,  259 
Hillhouse,  Hon.  James,  89 
Hines,  Christopher,  recollections  of,  6l 
Hoban,  James,  178 
Hoffman,  Mrs.  David,  223 
Holley,  Mrs.  Hamilton,  318 
Homans,  Benjamin,  161,  163,  172 
Homans,  Mrs.  Benjamin,  172,  173 
Hominy  House,  174 
Hone,  Philip,  274 
Hovirland,  Gardiner  G.,  315 

Howland,  Mrs.  Gardiner  G.     (See  Mary  Dulany.) 
Hull,  Captain,  158 
Humboldt,  Baron  von,  74 
Huntress,  The,  223,  291 


333 


INDEX 


I 

Ingersoll,  Charles  J.,  169,  290 

Ingham,  Samuel  D.,  240 

Irving,  Washington,  describes  Virginia  life,  94;  opinion  of 
Cooper's  acting,  228;  in  Washington,  292,  302;  at  White 
House,  292,  320;  visits  Mount  Vernon,  319-321;  described, 
321 

Izard,  Mrs.  Ralph,  35 

J 

Jackson,  Andrew,  anecdotes  of,  106,  209,  260,  262 ;  in  Washing- 
ton, 177,  181,  195,  200;  victory  at  New  Orleans,  180;  appear- 
ance and  manners  of,  195,  196,  198,  209,  216.  239,  245,  246,  261, 
262;  receives  Lafayette,  205,  206;  attends  ball,  212,  213,  216; 
preparations  for  inauguration,  232 ;  inauguration  of,  234,  236- 
238 ;  death  of  wife,  238,  254,  255 ;  domestic  life  at  White 
House,  239,  266;  Cabinet,  240,  271,  290;  champions  Mrs. 
Eaton,  241-245  ;  characteristics  of,  245,  246,  248,  255  ;  devotion 
to  Mrs.  Jackson,  245 ;  irregularity  of  marriage,  246-251 ; 
campaign  libels,  251  ;  kindness  to  children,  262,  263 ;  gives 
Christmas  party  at  White  House,  263—266;  intimate  friends 
of,  267,  305 ;  banking  scheme.  283 ;  statue  in  Washington,  323 

Jackson,  Mrs.  Andrew,  not  in  Washington  in  1815,  l8l,  182;  in 
Washington,  195,  199 ;  characteristics  of,  198-201,  252 ;  not 
in  White  House,  238 ;  relatives  of,  239,  246,  249,  253,  254,  258, 
260;  marriage  to  Lewis  Robards,  246;  irregularity  of  mar- 
riage to  Jackson,  246-251 ;  campaign  gossip,  252,  253;  illness 
and  death  of,  254,  255 

Jackson,  Andrew,  Jr.,  adopted  son  of  Jackson,  257,  258 

Jackson,  Mrs.  Andrew,  Jr.,  257,  258,  262,  266 

Jay,  Mrs.  John,  35 

Jefferson,  Maria.     (See  Mrs.  John  W.  Eppes.) 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  on  site  of  national  capital,  23,  24,  25,  43,  46; 
relations  with  Alexander  Hamilton,  24,  25,  123,  124;  Secre- 
tary of  State,  24,  51;  distaste  for  birthday  celebrations,  38; 
at  Highlands,  89;  friendship  for  Mrs.  Madison  gives  prece- 
dence to,  102-104,  121-122;  state  dinners.  104-108;  hospi- 
tality of,  106,  107 ;  abolishes  levees,  109 ;  daughters  of,  109- 
115;  New- Year's  reception,  117,  118;  appearance  of,  at  Mrs. 
334 


INDEX 


Madison's  reception,  129,  130,  133;  purchases  Louisiana,  134; 

opinion  of  Monroe,  135 ;    Presidential  etiquette,  185 
Jesup,  General  Thomas,  90,  304 
Johns,  Bishop,  280 
Johnson,  Governor  Thomas,  45 
Joinville,  Prince  de,  in  Washington,  293,  294 
Jones,  Charles,  164 
Jones,  Fanny  Lee,  290 
Jones,    General    Waller,    escorts   Lafayette,   205;     in    Stephen 

Girard  case,  288-290;    in  Gaines  case,  303 
Jones,  Mrs.  Henry  Lightfoot,  285 
Jones,  William,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  175 

K 

Kalorama,  189,  322 

Kendall,  Amos,  259 

Kennedy,  Andrew,  318-320 

Kennedy,  Hon.  John  P.,  229,  311,  315,  320 

Kennon,  Mrs.  Beverly,  83 

Key,  Francis  Scott,  author  of  "  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  81,  87, 
90,  229,  303 

Key,  Mrs.  Francis  Scott,  87 

Key,  Philip  Barton,  88,  90 

King,  Anna,  82 

King,  Charles,  artist,  231 

King,  James  Gore,  305 

King,  William  R.,  218,  304 

Kingman,  Elias,  229 

Knapp,  John,  218 

Kortright,  Elizabeth.     (See  Mrs.  James  Monroe.) 

Krudener,  Baron,  Russian  minister,  243 

Krudener,  Madame,  193 

L 

Lafayette,  George  Washington,  in  America,  loi,  202,  204.  205 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  in  Georgetown,  74,  91 ;  visits  Arlington, 
loi,  204;  in  Washington,  199,  200,  202,  203;  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, 204,  205,  206;  services  recognized  by  government,  207; 
statue  of,  in  Washington,  318;  Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton 
describes,  320 

335 


INDEX 


Lafayette  Square,  322-324 

Latrobe,  Benjamin  H.,  describes  Washington  in  1796,  58,  59; 

refurnishes  White  House,  132;  builds  Van  Ness  house,  150; 

rebuilds  Capitol,  178,  181 
Law,  Edmund,  68 

Law,  Eliza  (Mrs.  L.  N.  Rogers),  dj 
Law,  John,  68 
Law,  Thomas,  house  in  Washington,  26,  66,  67 ;   marries  Eliza 

Custis,  28 ;   invests  in  Washington  lots,  29,  47,  58,  181 ;   char- 
acteristics of,  67-69;  poems  of,  68,  178 
Law,  Mrs.  Thomas,  in  Philadelphia,  38 ;  in  Washington,  67-69 
Lawrie,  Rev.  J.,  89 
Lear,  Tobias,  275 
Lear,  Mrs.  Tobias,  275,  304 
Lee,  Arthur,  98,  99 
Lee,  Charles,  126 
Lee,  General  Robert  E.,  99,  loi 
Lee,  Mrs.  Robert  E.,  loi,  264 
Lee,  George  Washington,  Custis,  100,  264 
Lee,  Mrs.  Samuel  Phillips,  260,  262 
Lee,  Thomas,  predicted  site  for  capital,  44 
Leeds,  Duke  and  Duchess  of,  149 
L'Enfant,  Major  Charles  Pierre,  draws  plans  for  Washington, 

46,  47,  65;    dismissal  of,  48-50;    credit  due,  51-55;    talents 

and  characteristics  of,  56,  57 ;   makes  home  at  Green  Hill,  57, 

96 
Lewis,  William  B.,  of  Tennessee,  259 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  306,  323 
Lingan,  James,  46,  50 
Livingston,  Cora  (Mrs.  Thomas  P.  Barton),  grace  and  charm 

of,  223,  224 ;   in  Washington,  240,  257 ;    marriage  of,  258 ;   at 

White  House  Christmas  party,  265 
Livingston,  Edward,  in  United  States  Senate,  189;   minister  to 

France,  191,  267;    Secretary  of  State,  257,  266;    in  Decatur 

house,  305,  323 
Livingston,  Mrs.  Edward,  in  Washington,  189,  223;    salon  of, 

190,  191 ;   friend  of  Jackson,  196,  257,  266;   popularity  of,  in 

France,  267,  268 
Livingston,  Henry  Walter,  31 

336 


INDEX 


Livingston,  Mrs.  Henry  Walter,  30-32 

Livingston,  Robert  R.,  134,  191,  223 

Lloyd,  Governor  Edward,  80,  87 

Lloyd,  Mary  Tayloe  (Mrs.  Francis  Scott  Key),  87 

Lloyd,  Nanny,  225,  226 

Love,  Richard  H.,  171,  172 

Love,  Mrs.  Richard  H.,  172 

Lowndes,  Christopher,  68,  97,  98 

Lynch,  Dominick,  84 

M 

Mackall,  Benjamin,  81 

Mackall,  S.  Somervell,  81 

Maclay,  William,  on  residence  bill,  23 ;  wishes  General  Wash- 
ington in  heaven,  39 

Macomb,  General  Alexander,  203,  226 

Madison,  James,  on  site  for  capital,  43;  marriage  of,  116,  117; 
Secretary  of  State,  120,  122;  President,  123,  128,  129,  150, 
192;  inauguration  of,  131-132;  Cabinet,  133,  134;  portraits 
of,  143 ;  goes  to  Bladensburg,  164,  165 ;  criticized  for  part 
taken  in  war  of  1812,  166-168,  172;  urges  Mrs.  Madison  to 
leave  Washington,  167-169;  leaves  Washington,  170;  re- 
turns to  Washington,  176;  in  Octagon,  179;  signs  Treaty 
of  Ghent,  180 ;  attends  ball  at  Annapolis,  182 ;  retires  to 
Montpelier,  183 ;    sale  of  library  and  papers,  273,  274 

Madison,  Mrs.  James,  in  Philadelphia,  27 ;  in  social  life  of 
Washington,  74,  78,  79,  89,  115,  118  121-123,  150,  158;  anec- 
dotes of,  102,  137-139;  friend  of  Mrs.  Randolph,  iii,  114; 
appearance  of,  116,  117,  131,  132;  drawing-room,  120,  153, 
159,  229;  relatives  of,  123,  133,  154-156;  hospitality  of,  136, 
141,  142,  144 ;  portraits  of,  142,  143 ;  in  White  House  during 
battle  of  Bladensburg,  164,  167-169 ;  saves  portrait  of  Wash- 
ington, 169-171 ;  flight  of,  from  Washington,  171,  172;  re- 
turns to  Washington,  176,  177;  in  Octagon,  177,  179;  popu- 
larity of,  180;  attends  ball  at  Annapolis,  182;  retires  to 
Montpelier,  183 ;  later  days  in  Washington,  264,  266,  271- 
27s,  306,  323 :    lives  on  H  Street,  273,  306,  323 

Magruder,  Dr.,  304 

Malbone,  Edward  Greene,  230,  231 
337 


INDEX 


Marbois,  Barbe,  134 

Mareuil,  Baron  de,  206,  224 

Marshall,  Chief  Justice  John,  in  Washington,  78,  190;  anec- 
dote of,  119,  120;   in  Burr  trial,  127,  131,  133 

Martin,  Luther,  123,  126-128 

Mason,  Anne,  225,  226 

Mason,  Eliza,  225,  226 

Mason,  General  John,  87,  226 

Mason,  Mrs.  John,  87,  122 

Mason,  George,  93 

Mason,  James  Murray,  187 

Mason,  Mrs.  James  Murray,  187,  225-227 

Mason,  John,  226 

Mason,  Sarah  Maria,  225,  226 

Mayo,  Maria  (Mrs.  Winfield  Scott),  141 

McHenry,  James,  Secretary  of  War,  64 

McKean,  Sally.     (See  Marchioness  de  Casa  Yrujo.) 

McKim,  Ann,  213 

McLean,  John  R.,  90 

Meade,  Bishop  William,  17,  91,  100,  140,  141,  198 

Meigs,  Return  J.,  164 

Meikleman,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  D.  S.,  113 

Merry,  Anthony,  102,  104,  115 

Merry,  Mrs.  Anthony,  114 

Middleton,  Arthur,  187 

Miller,  Dr.  Thomas,  residence  of,  304 

Miller,  Julia  F.,  describes  visit  to  White  House,  307,  309-312, 
3^3~3^7',  friend  of  Miss  Fillmore,  308;  describes  New- 
Year's  reception,  312,  313;   visits  Mount  Vernon,  318-322 

Mitchell,  Dr.,  describes  Mrs.  Madison,  116,  117,  118;  learning 
of,  119;   in  Washington,  120,  128 

Monroe,  James,  return  from  France,  128;  Secretary  of  State, 
132;  in  purchase  of  Louisiana,  134;  costume  and  appearance 
of,  13s,  136;  family  of,  136,  186,  189;  President  of  United 
States,  183,  192;  inaugural  ceremonies  in  open  air,  183,  184; 
marriage  of  daughter,  186,  187 ;    entertains  Lafayette,  203 

Monroe,  Mrs.  James,  appearance  of,  135,  189;  attends  inau- 
gural ball,  184 ;  changes  etiquette  of  White  House,  184,  185, 
186 

338 


INDEX 


Monroe,  Maria  (Mrs.  Samuel  L.  Gouveneur),  135,  136 

Mordecai,  Rosa,  286 

Morgan,  Dr.  James  Dudley,  50 

Morris,  Commodore  Charles,  279 

Morris,  Gouveneur,  112 

Morris,  Louise  (Mrs.  William  W.  Corcoran),  279 

Morris,  Mary,  154 

Morris,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anthony,  142 

Morris,  Phoebe,  favorite  of  Mrs.  Madison,  142,  154,  155,  233; 

visits  White  House,  144,  147;    describes  Washington  society, 

149,  150;    describes  John  Randolph,  151,  152 
Morris,  Robert,  20;  financier  of  Revolution,  25;   site  of  capital, 

47,  66,  dj,  69 
Morse,  John  T.,  38,  234 
Morse,  Samuel  F.  B.,  303 
Mount  Eagle,  93 

Mount  Vernon,  15,  21,  45,  92,  93,  99,  318-322 
Murray,  Catherine  (Mrs.  Richard  Rush),  87 
Murray,  Dr.  James,  17 


Murray,  Sally  Scott,  87 


N 


Nicholson,  John,  66,  d"],  69 

Nicols,  Charlotte,  145 

Nourse,  Charles  J.,  house  of,  89,  106 

Nourse,  Joseph,  Register  of  Treasury,  61,  89,  105,  106,  286 

O 

Octagon,  176-179,  322 

Ogden,  David  B.,  218 

Ogle,  Governor  Samuel,  17 

O'Neill,  Peggy  (Mrs.  John  H.  Eaton),  242 

O'Neill,  William,  241,  304,  305 

Osgood,  Samuel,  39 

Overton,  Judge,  on  Jackson's  marriage,  246,  247,  249,  250 

P 
Paca,  William,  215 
Page,  Governor  John,  112 
Pageot,  Madame  Alphonse   (Mary  Lewis),  259 

339 


INDEX 


Paine,  Thomas,  120 

Parkinson,  Richard,  20,  21,  67,  145 

Parton,  James,  author,  108,  109,  128,  197 ;  describes  Jackson,  i 

Patterson,  Elizabeth.     (See  Mrs.  Jerome  Bonaparte.) 

Patterson,  Robert,  54 

Payne,  Anna.     (See  Mrs,  Richard  D.  Cutts.) 

Payne,  Anna,  niece  of  Mrs.  Madison,  272,  274 

Payne,  John  Howard,  121 

Peale,  Charles  Willson,  41 

Peale,  James,  143,  230 

Pemberton,  John,  155 

Perrine,  William,  228 

Peter,  Robert,  46,  66 

Peter,  Thomas,  house  of,  66,  82,  83 

Peter,  Mrs.  Thomas,  204 

Physick,  Dr.  Philip  Syng,  142 

Pickering,  Timothy,  89,  125 

Pinkney,  William,  minister  to  Russia,  132,  182 

Plater,  Governor  William,  88 

Polk,  James  K.,  in  House,  217;    President  of  United  Stat 

258,  259,  274,  290,  296,  305 
Polk,  Mrs.  James  K.,  275,  299 
Polk,  Lucius  J.,  258,  259 
Polk,  Mrs.  Lucius  J.,  239,  258,  259 
Poor,  Mrs.  Moses,  miniature  of,  by  Malbone,  230 
Porter,  Commodore  David,  177,  188,  201,  323 
Porter,  Mrs.  David,  238 
Porter,  Robert,  50 

Potestad  Fornari,  Marques  de,  316,  317 

Potestad  Fornari,  Marquesa  de,  beauty  and  charm  of,  316,  3 
Potter,  Elisha  R.,  218 
Powers,  Mrs.  Cyrus,  312 
Preston,  William  C,  138,  139 
Priestley,  Dr.  Joseph,  20 
Pyle,  Colonel  Richard,  90 

Q 

Quincy,  Josiah,  travels  to  capital  with  Judge  Story,  119;    d 
scribes  Jackson,  196,  197;   describes  Washington  society,  21 
218,  219,  222-224,  239;    describes  Daniel  Webster,  219-222 
340 


INDEX 


Randolph,  Anne,  113,  122 

Randolph,  James  Madison,  113 

Randolph,  John,  anecdotes  of,  71,  78,  153,  222;  in  House,  125, 
221,  222 ;  opposes  Madison,  128 ;  in  social  life  of  capital,  133, 
177,  190,  191 

Randolph,  Thomas  Mann,  109,  119 

Randolph,  Mrs.  Thomas  M.,  daughter  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  109 ;  at 
White  House,  110-115,  118;  son  born  in  White  House,  113; 
encounter  with  Mrs.  Merry,  114 

Rhea,  Hon.  John,  89 

Rich,  Obed,  164,  172 

Richelieu,  Armand  E.  du  Plessis,  149 

Ridgely,  Deborah,  145 

Ridgely,  General  Charles,  20 

Riggs,  George  W.,  311,  322 

Ringgold,  Captain  Tench,  313,  314 

Ringgold,  Maria,  145 

Ringgold,  Samuel,  145 

Ritchie,  Thomas,  306 

Rittenhouse,  David,  20,  54 

Robards,  Lewis,  246-250 

Robards,  Mrs.  Lewis.     (See  Mrs.  Andrew  Jackson.) 

Rochefoucauld-Liancourt,  on  social  life  in  Colonies,  16,  19,  20, 
35;   at  Monticello,  no 

Rodgers,  Commodore  John,  188,  306,  323 

Rodney,  Csesar,  125 

Rogers,  Lloyd  N.,  67,  190  ' 

Rokeby,  171,  172 

Rosedale,  88,  98 

Ross,  General  Robert,  176 

Royall,  Mrs.  Anne,  establishes  The  Huntress,  223,  291,  292; 
described  by  John  Quincy  Adams,  292 

Rush,  Dr.  Benjamin,  32,  54 

Rush,  Hon.  Richard,  marriage  of,  87;  diplomatic  services 
abroad,  149;  appearance  and  manners  of,  151,  217;  At- 
torney-General, 166 ;   Washington  residence  of,  304 

Rush,  Mrs.  Richard,  189,  223 

341 


INDEX 


s 

Sargent,  John,  lawyer  in  Stephen  Girard  case,  288 

Scott,  General  Winfield,  177,  201,  287,  314 

Seaton,  William,  editor  of  National  Intelligencer,  68,  159,  202, 
229,  293 

Seaton,  Mrs.  William,  in  Washington  life,  68,  201,  231,  293; 
letters  from  Washington,  157-159,  162,  181,  188,  201 ;  jaunt 
to  Annapolis,  182,  183 ;  etiquette  of  Monroe  administration, 
185;  Monroe  wedding,  186;  describes  Calhouns  and  Jack- 
sons,  192,  195,  199;  meets  and  entertains  Lafayette,  203, 
206 

Sedgwick,  Theodore,  62 

Semple,  Mrs.  J.  A.,  285,  286,  292 

Serra,  Abbe  de,  in  Washington,  60,  113 

Serurier,  Madame,  264,  265 

Shiel,  Richard  Lalor,  148 

Shubrick,  Admiral  William  B.,  306 

Singleton,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Richard,  140 

Smith,  J.  Bayard  H.,  232,  238,  274 

Smith,  John  Cotton,  62,  64 

Smith,  Mrs.  Harrison  S.,  describes  Washington  society,  231- 
233,  238,  239 ;    describes  Jackson's  inauguration,  236,  237,  240 

Smith,  Rev.  William,  of  Philadelphia,  62,  63 

Smith,  S.  Harrison,  proprietor  of  National  Intelligencer,  65, 
105,  159,  231,  232,  239;    home  of,  83 

Snow,  Mrs.  Frank  M.     (See  Julia  F.  Miller.) 

Spotswood,  Lady,  marriage  of,  17,  19 

Stannard,  Mrs.,  of  Richmond,  314,  315 

Stark,  Colonel,  friend  of  Mrs.  Jackson,  249 

Sterett,  Polly.     (See  Mrs.  Richard  Gittings.) 

Stevenson,  Andrew,  minister  to  England,  140,  267-269 

Stevenson,  Mrs.  Andrew  (Sally  Coles),  at  White  House,  139, 
170,  180,  191 ;  in  London,  140,  267-269;  present  at  coronation 
of  Queen  Victoria,  268 

Stockton,  Commodore  Richard,  218,  305 

Stoddert,  Benjamin,  first  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  34,  40,  64; 
Georgetown  residence  and  property  of,  46,  85,  87,  88 ;  appre- 
ciates L'Enfant,  50 

342 


INDEX 


Stoddert,  Mrs.  Benjamin,  describes  coiffure,  33,  34;  social  life 
in  Philadelphia,  35,  37,  40;  in  Washington,  77;  neighbors 
of,  87,  97 

Stoddert,  Elizabeth,  40,  41 

Stoddert,  Harriot.     (See  Mrs.  G.  W.  Campbell.) 

Stone,  Dr.  Robert  K.,  304 

Story,  Justice  Joseph,  in  Washington,  78,  190,  217,  218,  237, 
290;   anecdote  of,  119,  120 

Stuart,  Dr.  David,  29,  45,  99 

Stuart,  Gilbert,  portraits  of,  63,  115,  169;  painting  in  Washing- 
ton, 143,  144 

Sumner,  Charles,  250,  251,  303 

T 

Tayloe,  Benjamin  Ogle,  diplomatic  mission  of,  149,  151 ;  house 

on  Lafayette  Square,  275,  302,  305 
Tayloe,  Colonel  John,  of  Mount  Airy,  65,  80;    owns  Octagon, 

66,  176,  177;   portrait  of,  143 
Tayloe,  Mrs.  John,  143,  177 
Taylor,  Rebecca,  300 
Taylor,  Zachary,  brief  administration  of,  296,  298 ;  described  by 

Lady  Wortley,  298,  299;    at  dedication  of  monument,  300, 

301 ;    illness  and  death  of,  301 
Taylor,  Mrs.  Zachary,  299 
Thomas,  Jesse  B.,  214 
Thompson,  James,  140 

Thompson,  Rev.  John,  love-letter  of,  17,  18 
Thornton,  Dr.  William,  48,  177 
Thornton,  Mrs.  William,  304 
Threlkeld,  Jane,  85 
Threlkeld,  John,  85 

Tilghman,  William,  Chief-Justice  of  Pennsylvania,  31 
Timberlake,  Mrs.     (See  Mrs.  John  H.  Eaton.) 
Todd,  Justice  Thomas,  154 

Todd,  Mrs.  Thomas.     (See  Mrs.  George  S.  Washington.) 
Todd,  Payne,  Mrs.  Madison's  son,  144,  155 
Treaty  of  Ghent,  177,  179,  180 
Tucker,  Judge  St.  George,  136 
Tudor  Place,  82,  83,  204 

343 


INDEX 


Twining,  Thomas,  26,  58,  66,  74 

Tyler,  Elizabeth,  married  in  East  Room,  294 

Tyler,  John,  aids  Mrs.  Madison,  274 ;    "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler 

too,"  283 ;    succeeds  Harrison,  285,  290 ;    hospitality  of,  in 

White  House,  285,  286,  292;    ball  for  Prince  de  Joinville, 

293  ;    second  marriage  of,  294 
Tyler,  Mrs.  John,  285 

Tyler,  Mary  Fairlie,  fancy  ball  at  White  House,  286 
Tyler,  Mrs.  Robert,  acts  with  her  father,  228,  229;   presides  at 

White  House,  285,  286,  294 


V 

Van  Buren,  Abraham,  269 

Van  Buren,  Mrs.  Abraham,  in  London,  269,  270 ;  presides  over 
White  House,  271,  272,  297,  298 

Van  Buren,  John,  269-271 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  Secretary  of  State,  240;  entertains  Mrs. 
Eaton,  243;  minister  to  England,  244;  at  White  House 
Christmas  party,  264-265 ;  family  of,  269,  297 ;  characteris- 
tics of,  270.  281,  283 ;  changes  etiquette  in  White  House,  271, 
272,  282 ;  at  Bodisco  wedding,  278 ;  entertains  Bodiscos,  281 ; 
loses  election,  283 

Van  Ness,  Ann  Albertina,  186,  187 

Van  Ness,  General  John  P.,  marries  Marcia  Burnes,  89.  123 ; 
mansion  of,  150;  views  in  defence  of  Washington,  160,  162, 
173 

Van  Ness,  Mrs.  John  P.,  89,  122,  123,  144 

Van  Rensselaer,  Catherine,  224 

Van  Rensselaer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen,  191 

Varnum,  Joseph  B.,  72 

Vaughan.  Sir  Edward,  224,  243,  265 

Vaux,  Hon.  Richard.  268,  269 

Volney,  Constantin  F.,  67,  74 


W 

Waller,  William,  marries  Miss  Tyler,  294 
Washington,  burning  of,  161,  173,  175,  176 


INDEX 


Washington,  General  George,  taste  for  fox-hunting,  15;  pre- 
dictions upon  American  cities,  21 ;  locates  capital,  23,  42,  43, 
46,  89,  91;  in  Philadelphia,  28,  39,  145  146;  Virginia  neigh- 
bors of,  36,  93,  94;  birthday  ball,  ZT,  38;  lays  corner-stone 
of  Capitol,  47;  on  position  of  Capitol,  52,  53;  in  Washing- 
ton, 66,  67,  74 ;  congratulations  of  Catholics,  84,  85  ;  in  Alex- 
andria, 92,  95,  99;  White  House  portrait  saved,  169-171 ;  on 
Presidential  etiquette,  185 ;    friend  of  Lafayette,  204,  205 

Washington,  George  S.,  27 

Washington,  Mrs.  George  S.,  sister  of  Mrs.  Madison,  27,  142, 
144,  146,  154,  168 

Washington,  John  Augustine,  inherits  Mount  Vernon,  319,  320 

Washington,  Judge  Bushrod,  in  social  life  of  capital,  190;  in- 
herits Mount  Vernon,  204,  319 

Washington,  Louisa,  319,  320 

Washington,  Martha,  hospitality  of,  15;  marriage  of  grand- 
daughters, 28,  66,  83 ;    levees,  40 ;   in  Alexandria,  92,  93,  99 

Webster,  Daniel,  in  social  life  of  capital,  133,  177,  190,  214,  275, 
287,  293  ;  appearance  and  manners  of,  217,  222  ;  as  a  raconteur, 
2igr22i;  on  Eaton  imbroglio,  242;  aids  Mrs.  Madison,  273; 
in  Harrison's  Cabinet,  284;  in  Stephen  Girard  case,  288-290; 
residence  of,  on  Lafayette  Square,  302,  305 

Webster,  Mrs.  Daniel,  220,  275,  293 

Webster,  Noah,  29,  30 

Welles,  Hon.  Gideon,  306 

Wellesley,  Lady  (Mary  Ann  Caton),  148,  149 

Wellesley,  Marquess  of,  148,  149 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  149 

White  House,  Saturday  concerts  at,  287 

White,  Mrs.  Joseph  M.,  223 

Wilcox,  Mrs.  M.  E.  D.,  great-niece  of  Mrs.  Jackson,  257,  258, 
263 ;   describes  Christmas  party  at  White  House,  263-266 

Wilkes,  Commodore  Charles,  313 

Wilkinson,  General  James,  162 

Williams,  Brooke,  house  of,  82,  278 

Williams,  Harriet.     (See  Madame  Bodisco.) 

Willis.  N.  P.,  291 

Wilson,  Rufus  Rockwell,  271 

Winder,  General  William  Henry,  165,  166,  167 


345 


INDEX 


Wirt,  William,  127,  188,  190 

Wirt,  Mrs.  William,  214,  222 

Wolcott,  Oliver,  44,  64,  67 

Woodbury,  Levi,  290,  305 

Woodbury,  Mrs.  Levi,  297 

Worthington,  Dr.  Charles,  87,  150 

Wortley,  Lady  E.  Stuart,  impressions  of  Washington,  296, 

302 
Wren,  Sir  Christopher,  51,  52 
Wye  House,  215 


Y 

Yorke,  Peter,  257 

Young,  Mary,  65 

Young,  Notley,  46,  64 

Yrujo,  Marchioness  de  Casa,  115 

Yrujo,  Marquis  de  Casa,  103,  104 


THE    END 


346 


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